..:: AUTO REPORT AFRICA ::..
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Thirty-year-old Nigerian creative designer, Mohammed Yunusa Ewan, has a dream. His dream is to design for the best luxury auto brand in the world, Mercedes-Benz, one day. Call it a tall dream if you like, but Mohammed is not bothered but focused and he’s already working unrelentingly to bring his dream to reality.
Already, Mohammed has exhibited some of his designs at some local exhibitions in Nigeria and is now waiting to fully launch out whenever the Young Designers Competition being organised by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) takes off.
Mohammed seems to have found great inspiration in the current Director-General of NADDC, Mr. Jelani Aliyu, who designed the award-winning Chevrolet Volt for General Motors in the United States . Aliyu had promised, upon assumption of office last year, that he would challenge and encourage young Nigerians to develop their talents in automotive design as a way of producing a car that is truly made in Nigeria.
He even went further to constitute a committee to oversee a design competition for Nigerian young designers. Aliyu said the objective of NADDC under his leadership, is to ensure that “advanced, expressive and highly practical renewable energy powered vehicles” are “designed, developed and produced in Nigeria.”
However, since the committee charged with the organisation of the design competition was named last year, nothing much has been heard of the competition even as many talented Nigerian youths wait eagerly for the kick-off.
Mohammed is neither deterred by the inability of the committee to kick-start the competition nor is he resting on his oars in order to achieve his goal and bring his dream to reality.
He disclosed that the NADDC boss, Jelani Aliyu, had already seen some of his designs.
“Yes, Jelani Aliyu, GM of NADDC, who is a senior creative designer, saw my work and admired it,” Mohammed told AUTO REPORT AFRICA, explaining that he developed interest for automobile design during his school days and have also participated in competitions organised by car designing groups.
On his special love for Mercedes-Benz, the Higher National Diploma (HND) holder from Niger State, Nigeria said: “I love Mercedes-Benz. it’s a modern vehicle that is loved by everybody and is a car which has not lost its value for many years.”
However, he lamented that despite his talent and interest in automobile design, he is still an applicant, searching for a place to bring his dream to life.
His words: “I’m still an applicant. All I want is support from the Nigerian Government to study Automobile Design outside the country or support to secure a job with any of the automobile companies in Nigeria or outside the country. This will enable me to showcase my ideas on the way forward for any company that is ready to offer me a job.”
Mohammed has a word of encouragement for the Nigerian youths.
“Automobile design is a very competitive and interesting field. One needs to create very good sketches and ideas before getting to the top. Also, one could write his name in the history books by developing a great vehicle that will make history in the society,” he said.
On his overall goal, Mohammed said :”The aim of my car designs and creativity is to see Nigeria become one of the biggest automobile producers in the world and also to see Nigeria’s economy diversified from crude oil to automobiles production.”
