News

Launch Design, Hybrid Motors Ink Deal for EV Plants in Lagos, Abuja

Published

6 months ago

May 10, 2026

Joel Ajayi

A new China-Nigeria partnership aimed at accelerating electric vehicle production is drawing attention as Nigeria intensifies efforts to expand local manufacturing capacity and clean transportation infrastructure.

Launch Design Shanghai and Hybrid Motors Nigeria have signed a strategic cooperation agreement focused on electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly operations in Lagos and Abuja.

The partnership is expected to support technology transfer, local workforce training, and the gradual development of Nigeria’s electric vehicle supply chain.

The agreement marks a major milestone for Nigeria’s homegrown electric vehicle brand, “Acely,” combining local assembly with advanced automotive engineering expertise.

Under the agreement, the two firms will establish electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in Lagos and Abuja to accelerate the production of Acely, Hybrid Motors Nigeria’s indigenous vehicle brand designed specifically for Nigerian roads and consumers.

The signing ceremony, held in Shanghai on May 8, 2026, brought together key stakeholders from both companies, who described the collaboration as a transformative step for Nigeria’s automotive sector through innovation, local manufacturing, and sustainable mobility solutions.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of Launch Design, Mr. Wang Xun, and Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Motors Nigeria, Mr. Jubril Arogundade, highlighted the significance of the partnership and their shared vision for the future of automotive manufacturing in Africa.

Arogundade said the Acely brand represents the convergence of local market knowledge and world-class automotive engineering.

“This partnership is more than a business agreement; it is a commitment to building Nigeria’s automotive future,” he said.

“With Acely, we are proving that world-class vehicles can be conceived, designed, and assembled right here in Nigeria, by Nigerians, for Nigerians. Our collaboration with Launch Design brings world-class engineering expertise directly into our operations, ensuring that Acely meets the highest international standards while remaining authentically Nigerian.”

Wang Xun said Launch Design was proud to partner with Hybrid Motors Nigeria in what he described as a transformative venture.

“Our turnkey engineering capabilities, combined with Mr. Arogundade’s leadership and Hybrid Motors’ deep understanding of the Nigerian market, create a powerful formula for success. Together, we are not just building vehicles, we are building an industry,” he said.

Launch Design Shanghai is expected to provide comprehensive engineering solutions covering vehicle architecture, manufacturing process engineering, design optimization, and quality assurance systems.

The partnership will establish manufacturing operations across two locations with a projected combined annual production capacity of 70,000 units at full maturity.

The Lagos facility, located along the Lekki-Epe axis, will serve as the primary production and assembly hub with an annual capacity of 50,000 units.

Positioned close to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the plant is expected to support exports across Southern Nigeria and West African markets including Ghana, Benin, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.

The Abuja facility, situated within the Free Zone Business Area of Centenary Economic City, will operate as a secondary manufacturing and technology centre with a projected annual capacity of 20,000 units.

The plant is expected to serve Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahel region while benefiting from tax incentives and access to northern trade corridors.

The companies said the dual-facility strategy would help reduce logistics costs, improve operational efficiency and create employment opportunities across multiple regions of the country.

According to the firms, Acely vehicles will focus on local assembly and development, market-tailored designs suited to Nigerian roads and climate conditions, as well as advanced powertrain technologies and energy-efficient systems with increasing emphasis on electric and hybrid propulsion technologies.

The companies also projected significant economic and industrial benefits from the initiative, including job creation, technology transfer, development of local supply chains, reduction in vehicle import dependence, industrial diversification and the strengthening of Nigeria’s position within the African automotive value chain.

The partnership aligns with Nigeria’s National Automotive Industry Development Plan and the country’s broader transition toward cleaner and more sustainable transportation systems.

Arogundade described the Shanghai signing ceremony as a defining moment for both companies and Nigeria’s automotive industry.

“With facilities in Lagos and Abuja serving distinct but complementary markets across Nigeria and the wider region, we are laying the foundation for a new era of mobility — one that is locally rooted, globally competitive, and sustainably driven,” he said.

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Politics

Yagba Rallies for Abejide, Tinubu, Ododo as Support Group Inaugurated in Mopa

Published

6 hours ago

November 15, 2026

The Gleamer

By Stephen Adeleye

Mopa (Kogi), Nov. 14, 2026 – Stakeholders from across Yagba Federal Constituency on Saturday converged on Cruise Memorial College, Mopa, in Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi State, for the inauguration of the Elder Leke Abejide Support Group.

Elder Leke Abejide, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is serving his second term in the House of Representatives, representing Yagba Federal Constituency, which comprises Mopamuro, Yagba East and Yagba West Local Government Areas. He is seeking re-election for a third term in the 2027 general elections.

Before the inauguration, members of the group had earlier embarked on a road walk across major streets and towns in Mopamuro LGA in solidarity with the lawmaker and to canvass support for his third term bid, as well as for the second term re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

The road walk, which attracted a massive turnout of supporters, party loyalists and residents, moved through Mopa town and other communities, with participants chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners in support of the three candidates.

The inauguration was organised by supporters of the lawmaker to mobilise grassroots support for what they described as a triple mandate: the re-election of Abejide, the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the re-election of Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

In his address, the Director General of the group, Chief Olorunsola Charles Yomi, said the group was formed by men and women who believe in Abejide’s leadership, transparency and performance.

He said the support group, and not the lawmaker himself, convened the inauguration to show solidarity and love for their principal, adding that Abejide would soon commence his own campaign.

Yomi disclosed that five persons had been selected in each ward across the three local government areas as ward executives of the group to coordinate mobilisation ahead of the elections.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the group, Hon. Adebayo Toba Emmanuel, popularly known as Belusi, said members came together under one umbrella, pooling their resources to canvass support for the three candidates.

Belusi, a former Special Assistant on Urban and Regional and Project Monitoring to Kogi Governor, said five canvassers and coordinators were drawn from each local government and integrated at the inauguration, and would be given stipends to work for the election.

He said the people of Yagba were encouraged by the ongoing road construction and improved security in the area, noting that residents could now sleep better and gather freely, unlike in the past when insecurity made such gatherings difficult.

He added that Abejide’s empowerment programmes had touched many lives, with another phase of empowerment scheduled for Dec. 26.

In her remarks, the former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Kogi State, Hon. Bolanle Amupitan, said Abejide deserved re-election because he had empowered youths, women and vulnerable widows over the past eight to 10 years.

Amupitan said women, who constitute the majority of voters, would be mobilised from house to house and ward to ward to vote for Abejide, Ododo and Tinubu, stressing that the constituency did not want to be in opposition.

She said legislative experience matters, noting that a legislator needs time at the national level to navigate the system and attract dividends of democracy to the constituency.

Also speaking, the former Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Dr M.D. Eseyin, corroborated the testimonies on Abejide’s quality representation and urged the people to unite behind him so he could attract more dividends of democracy to the constituency.

In a notable cross-party endorsement, the Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kogi State, Sunday Maiyaki, said Abejide was enjoying support across party lines because he is a household name in Yagba land and a man of his word.

Maiyaki said Abejide had given N10 million to 74 communities in Yagba land, with a second tranche expected, N100 million to women for empowerment, and had promised N500 million for youth empowerment.

He described Abejide as a talk-and-do person who delivers on his promises, and said the people want him returned to the National Assembly.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Executive Chairman of Mopamuro Local Government Area, Hon. Demola Bello commended the people for their massive turnout, including the road walk, and urged them to come out en masse to vote for Abejide and President Tinubu.

He noted that Abejide had done well for the people of Yagba Federal Constituency, particularly in youth empowerment.

The inauguration ended with a charge to the newly inaugurated ward executives to return to their communities and commence mobilisation for the 2027 elections.

End

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