The Group Managing Director of Nedcomoaks Group, Dr. Ned Okonkwo, said that adopting electric vehicles could reduce vehicle maintenance costs by up to 70%.
He made this disclosure during an agreement signing ceremony in Lagos, where CIG Motors, Nedcomoaks, and Fidelity Bank committed to acquiring 2,000 EVs.
Okonkwo emphasized that this partnership was driven by a shared goal to reduce the country’s carbon footprint and promote a cleaner environment.
“If the government can support the electric vehicle charging stations, and electric vehicle industry, it is a great opportunity for us. Nigerians would be happier because, with an electric vehicle, you will reduce nearly 70 per cent of the maintenance costs of your vehicle,” he declared.
Okonkwo also emphasized that he and the Chairman of CIG Motors shared a unified vision of transforming Nigeria, enhancing its infrastructure, and safeguarding the environment.
“The need to eradicate carbon footprint and improve green energy were the shared aspirations that brought us to this point.
“I said to her, COVID-19 transformed my organisation. During COVID we realised that the best medicine that God provided to mankind to protect himself against COVID was the home. If the home was in an energy crisis that arose all over the world, how do we solve it? Research has shown that a God-given resource, sunlight, was abundant in Nigeria.
“And we could tap from the power of the sun and transform the energy sector in Nigeria. And that gave birth to our Citadel Utilities, Citadel Real Estate, which gave birth to the first city we developed powered by the sun.
“And we said they were still being affected by noise pollution, environmental pollution that came from petrol-powered vehicles. We said we needed to partner with a firm that is investing heavily in the research and development of EVs. That brought us to CIG Motors to ensure that our customers enjoy the benefit of driving electric vehicles,” he explained.
He added that his firm had vowed that all its estates would be equipped with electric vehicle charging points.
“We are deploying over 10,000 electric vehicle charging points in partnership with a reputable inverter company. We are doing that across Nigeria.
“For every organisation that keys into this vision, we are saying come, let’s save our environment, let’s save our planet and most importantly, let us reduce the burden that we have placed on our people. The costs of petroleum products are very expensive,” he noted.
The Chairman of CIG Motors, Chief Diana Chen, stated that the firm believed Nigerians should have access to better energy, which inspired its partnership with Nedcomoaks Group for the unveiling of 2,000 electric vehicles.
“The EVs are energy storage devices. We don’t see them as just vehicles. They are beyond the automobile. They are just like iPhones,” she said.
Chen revealed that CIG Motors had recently partnered with the Lagos State Government through Lagride to unveil 5,000 electric vehicles.
She also highlighted that the company was focused on expanding EV charging points across the country and training Nigerian technicians in the maintenance of electric vehicles.
The Executive Director of CIG Motors, Mr Jubril Arogundade, noted that the firm, having promoted the GAC brand in the last 10 years, had metamorphosed into CIG Mobility.
“We are now CIG Mobility from 2024 to the next future, where we are going to be partnering with amazing business giants like Dr Ned OkonKwo and other people in the society to be able to develop a new wave of mobility in Nigeria. Green mobility is a no-brainer. It is a national project.
“The Federal Government has said we should move away from the dominance of petrol and look for other sources of power to move from point A to point B. The CNG conversation is ongoing, but you and I know that no matter how expensive electricity is, at least it is here,” he explained.
The Executive Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr Kennedy Opara, explained that the bank fully supported the partnership because of its dedication to innovation and its commitment to fostering sustainable initiatives.
