Eco-friendly transportation kick starts in Kebbi as government partners Chinese firm in electric vehicle production

By El-Yakub Dabai, Birnin Kebbi

A Chinese Company, Wechan, has put in place viable steps for collaborations with Kebbi State Government to establish an electric powered vehicle assembly plant in the state as practical measure aimed at promoting eco friendly transportation system.

Dr Shadi Sabeh, the Company’s Country Representative in Nigeria, made this known during a courtesy visit on Governor Nasir Idris at Government House, Birnin Kebbi.

He said: “We are here in Kebbi to seek partnership with your government to be able to build an assembly plant for electric bikes, electric tricycles and possibly scale up to electric vehicles, depending on how the partnership works out.

“There are lot of attendant advantages. First of all, we feel that there is going to be a high level of transfer of knowledge and technology from China where we are actually working for to Kebbi, Nigeria.

“Secondly, we are looking at the environmental sustainability that this will bring. Wechan has different activities that is looking on, apart from the electric vehicles, we are also looking at incorporating solar manufacturing plant within the assembly plant”.

The country representative said the aim of the project was to see how Kebbi government could commit to purchasing 1,000 pieces of the electric tricycles, “we do know that that has been done by Prof. Babagana Zulum of Borno State and Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State”.

Responding, Governor Nasir Idris appreciated the company for finding Kebbi State worthy to be the hub of electric vehicle assembling not only in Nigeria but across Africa.

The governor assured the visitors of the readiness of his administration to partner with any investor willing to inject capital into the state, adding that the present government was ever ready to create enabling environment for investment to thrive.

“We have been looking for foreign companies and individuals to come to Kebbi and invest, government will create an enabling environment for you to operate peacefully. Let me assure you that this partnership has come to stay.

“Kebbi is actually blessed with abundant important natural resources, precisely, we have lithium, gold, copper, iron and limestone among others,” he noted.