Hybrid Motors Nigeria and Shanghai-based Launch Design signed a partnership agreement on May 8, 2026, to establish electric vehicle manufacturing plants in Lagos and Abuja. The collaboration aims to produce 70,000 units annually under Hybrid Motors Nigeria's indigenous brand, Acely. The Lagos plant, located along the Lekki-Epe axis, will have an annual capacity of 50,000 units and serve as the primary assembly hub, leveraging proximity to the Lekki Deep Sea Port for regional exports. The Abuja facility, situated in the Free Zone Business Area of Centenary Economic City, will produce up to 20,000 units yearly, targeting Northern Nigeria and Sahel markets.
Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Motors Nigeria, Jubril Arogundade, said the partnership is a commitment to Nigeria's automotive future, emphasizing that Acely vehicles are designed for Nigerian conditions. He described the project as proof that world-class vehicles can be assembled in Nigeria by Nigerians for Nigerians. Wang Xun, Chief Executive Officer of Launch Design, said the collaboration combines global engineering with local market insight to build not just vehicles but an industry. The companies stated the dual-facility setup will reduce logistics costs, improve efficiency, and create regional employment.
Acely vehicles will feature energy-efficient, locally assembled technologies adapted to Nigeria's terrain and climate. The initiative supports Nigeria's clean energy goals and aligns with the Federal Government's National Automotive Industry Development Plan. Arogundade said the Lagos and Abuja plants will create a foundation for mobility that is locally rooted, globally competitive, and sustainably driven. The project marks a significant step in Nigeria's efforts to expand local vehicle production and attract industrial investment.
Jubril Arogundade champions a Nigerian-built future while relying on a Chinese firm for core engineering. The Acely brand is assembled in Nigeria but depends on Launch Design's turnkey systems, raising questions about the depth of local technological control. If the vehicles are designed and engineered abroad, the claim of being "proudly Nigerian" rests more on location than on innovation. The plants may create jobs, but the real value addition still flows to Shanghai.
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