NADDC Commences EV Technology Training, Targeted at Homegrown EV Production

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has commenced a specialised training programme on electric vehicle (EV) technology for university students, aimed at equipping young engineers with practical industry skills and advancing Nigeria’s transition into electric mobility.

The training, being held at the Toyota Nigeria Training Centre in Lagos, is designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical industrial experience in electric vehicle engineering.

A facilitator at the programme and an official of NADDC, Engr. Simon Vandu Dzuwagu, said the initiative was part of the council’s efforts to prepare Nigerian students for the growing global automotive shift toward electric vehicles.

According to him, the programme is structured to expose participants to hands-on technical knowledge that will make them industry-ready after graduation.

“The purpose of this programme is to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practice. The council wants students to gain practical knowledge so that after graduation, EV technology will not be new to them,” Dzuwagu said.

He explained that the training would run for 14 days and had been divided into two batches of 15 participants each, with plans to expand participation to about 45 students.

Dzuwagu said participants would receive training in vehicle assembly processes, project management, battery management systems, and electric vehicle design.

He added that the students would also learn how to improve electric vehicle battery performance to suit Nigeria’s environmental and operational conditions.

“At the end of the programme, the goal is to produce a functional electric vehicle based on the design developed by the University of Benin during the EV competition,” he stated.

One of the participants, Chikamso Chidiakoma, a Mechanical Engineering student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), said the training would help students overcome technical challenges encountered during previous EV projects.

Chidiakoma explained that he and his team were selected after emerging among the top three winners at the NADDC Electric Bus Competition held last year.

“We are learning the basics of production, safety, components and design, manufacturing, and electric vehicles,” he said.

He noted that although the team had previously researched electric vehicle technology extensively, there were still knowledge gaps that required practical exposure.

“There were some challenges we faced while working on the EV project. We tried to learn as much as possible about electric vehicles, but we still had some knowledge gaps. I hope this training will help bridge those gaps,” he said.

The student added that the programme would improve participants’ understanding of EV design, battery range, power requirements, and implementation processes.

Another participant, Leonard Oseghale, a 400-level Mechatronics Engineering student of the University of Benin, described the programme as the second phase of the university’s electric bus project.

“We were invited for an Electric Vehicle training programme as the second phase of assembling an EV bus for our campus,” he said.

Oseghale, who expressed interest in futuristic transportation systems and electric mobility innovation, said the programme was contributing significantly to his ambition of establishing an EV company in the future.

He disclosed that students were being trained on production cycles, assembly processes, manufacturing systems, project timelines, and workforce management.

Speaking on the design concept adopted by the University of Benin team, Oseghale said the students used biomimicry technology inspired by the boxfish to improve vehicle aerodynamics.

“Our design at the University of Benin is unique because we adopted biomimicry technology. Our reference was the boxfish, which naturally has a shape that reduces air resistance,” he explained.

“Instead of following the traditional bus design, we chose a design inspired by nature to improve aerodynamics.”

He further explained that the project was being implemented in phases, beginning with the design stage, followed by training, while the next phase would focus on vehicle assembly.

Also speaking, a technical instructor at the Toyota Nigeria Training Centre, Mr. Saheed Soriola, said Toyota partnered with NADDC to provide industrial exposure for the students because of the company’s longstanding involvement in electric vehicle technology.

Soriola said Toyota had remained a global leader in electric mobility since launching the Prius, regarded as the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, in 1997.

“This programme was organised by NADDC for university students to expose them to industrial experience in electric vehicle technology,” he said. “Toyota Nigeria is supporting the students by broadening their practical knowledge and experience in electric vehicle engineering.”

The training comes amid growing global interest in clean energy transportation and increasing calls for Nigeria to develop local capacity in electric vehicle production and innovation.