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The Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce, Marisa Lago, has stated that supportive infrastructure is critical for Electric Vehicles adoption in Nigeria. Lago stated this in Lagos while speaking at the Microsoft Garage Hackathon on Electric Vehicles adoption during the recent Global Diversity Export Initiative Trade Mission to Nigeria. The GDEI Trade Mission had earlier been to South Africa and Ghana as part of the three-nation Trade Mission to Africa.
”To state the obvious, the transition to EVs presents a tremendous opportunity to drive innovation in the automotive sector and provide good paying jobs for Nigerians, while simultaneously addressing climate change and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Now that is a virtuous cycle,” Under Secretary Lago admitted.
She however maintained that supportive infrastructure must be put in place to reap the benefits of EV adoption.
”The reality, though, is that, to fully realise this potential, we must identify and overcome the barriers that are standing in our way. Today’s discussion and the work undertaken throughout the hackathon will illuminate the challenges and generate novel solutions. Of one thing I am certain, the full design and implementation of your solutions will require close collaboration among public and private sector stakeholders and the research community, ” she said.
”Our assembled experts will elaborate on the important technical considerations – which I am certain will go way over my head, even though I trained as a physicist…50 years ago. But to frame the discussion, I would like to toss out a few underlying themes that I believe are central and that reflect the feedback that I have heard from companies and stakeholders committed to achieving widespread EV adoption.”
According to the Under Secretary, “First, supportive infrastructure is crucial for widespread adoption of EVs. The availability of charging stations is a fundamental aspect of the enabling environment for an EV industry to thrive. But, there is a chicken-and-egg conundrum since companies are not likely to invest in charging infrastructure until there’s a critical mass of EV drivers. Equally individuals will be reluctant to buy EVs until there is a reasonable recharging infrastructure.
“Second, the cost of EVs, which are still relatively high compared to conventional vehicles, remains another significant barrier. Can these costs be reduced through local manufacturing, targeted investment in R&D, or collaborations with industry leaders from around the world to achieve economies of scale?
“Third, to attract both domestic and foreign players in the sector, it will be critical to have a supportive regulatory framework of consistent policies, standards and regulations that are aligned with international best practices that encourage investment and innovation.
“Fourth, in addition to advancing EV technology, we must equip the workforce with the education and skills necessary to support the growth of the industry. A skilled workforce can fill the employment opportunities generated by the growth of the sector, positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for manufacturing, maintenance and technology development.”
Explaining her mission in Nigeria, the visiting Under Secretary said, ” Our well-deserved reputation as innovators is the primary reason that I am in Nigeria, leading a Trade Mission comprised of minority- and veteran-owned businesses,” adding, ”These cutting-edge U.S. companies that are eager to find opportunities to expand business relationships with Nigerian counterparts. And, with four ICT companies on this trade mission, you may well find that one of them can be a key partner to help achieve your goals.”
