Former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has called on Nigeria’s foremost indigenous automobile manufacturer, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), to make electric vehicles the company’s primary production focus, saying the future of the global automobile industry is electric.
In a public message addressed to the Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Murray-Bruce commended the industrialist for establishing Nigeria’s first indigenous automobile manufacturing company and placing locally made vehicles on the nation’s roads.
“My good friend Chief Innocent Chukwuma, you did what nobody else dared. You built a car company in Nnewi and put Made-in-Nigeria vehicles on our roads. I still drive Innoson with pride,” he said.
The former Bayelsa East senator acknowledged that Innoson had already begun its transition into electric mobility with the introduction of the EX02 electric vehicle and the establishment of a new plant in Nnewi. However, he urged the company to make electric vehicle production its core business.
“My appeal, brother: make electric your main line, not your side line,” he stated.
Murray-Bruce argued that the economics of electric vehicles strongly favour Nigeria, noting that the country’s rising petrol prices make electric mobility a more affordable alternative.
According to him, with petrol selling above ₦1,300 per litre and Nigeria enjoying abundant sunshine throughout the year, electric vehicles powered by solar energy present a practical and cost-effective solution.
He added that electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than conventional petrol-powered vehicles, making them cheaper to maintain while reducing transportation costs for families.
The former lawmaker also said increased adoption of electric vehicles would help Nigeria conserve scarce foreign exchange currently spent on importing refined petroleum products.
He pointed to Nigeria’s lithium deposits in Nasarawa State as another strategic advantage that could support local electric vehicle production and battery manufacturing.
Highlighting global trends, Murray-Bruce noted that one in every four new vehicles sold worldwide last year was electric, while more than half of all new cars sold in China are electric. He also referenced Ethiopia’s decision to halt the importation of petrol-powered vehicles as evidence of the growing global shift toward cleaner transportation.
“The world has moved. Let Innoson be the reason Nigeria catches up,” he said.
He concluded by encouraging Nigerians to support locally manufactured products, using the hashtag #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira.
