How UNILAG Built Africa’s First University Car Plant And Drove a New Future for Innovation in Nigeria

In a world obsessed with noise, the University of Lagos has chosen a different rhythm, the sound of progress. While others make headlines for words, UNILAG has been quietly making history. On November 10, 2022, the university unveiled something that stunned critics and inspired dreamers alike: Africa’s first university-based automobile assembly plant.

Without loud campaigns or political speeches, UNILAG, in partnership with Nord Automobiles Limited, built a fully functional automotive facility right inside its Akoka campus. A place where learning meets production, and where students are not just reading about innovation, they are creating it. Inside this modern facility is a complete assembly line, a research and development (R&D) center, a showroom, and an after-sales workshop. It’s a factory powered not just by machines, but by vision, creativity, and youthful energy.

For decades, many Nigerians believed that local manufacturing was a distant dream. But UNILAG has proven otherwise. Together with Nord Automobiles, a proudly Nigerian car company founded by entrepreneur Oluwatobi Ajayi, the university has bridged the gap between education and industry. Here, engineering students assemble vehicles, experiment with electric vehicle (EV) designs, and even build drones, all while gaining practical experience that prepares them to compete globally.

UNILAG’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, captured it best during the plant’s inauguration when she said, “We are preparing our students not just to seek jobs but to create them.” That statement reflects the spirit of this initiative - empowering young Nigerians to move from consumers of foreign technology to creators of homegrown innovation.

The numbers give an even deeper insight. According to Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, the country spent over ₦1.26 trillion importing vehicles in 2024 alone. Meanwhile, local production remains under 10% of market demand. Every car assembled at the UNILAG-Nord plant is a small victory for economic independence, proof that the future of African manufacturing can, and should, be built by Africans.

The partnership also aligns with Nigeria’s National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP), designed to boost local production and reduce dependency on imports. But beyond policy, this project embodies something bigger: belief. Belief that African universities can be centers of industrial innovation, not just academic theory. Belief that education should create builders, not just degree holders. Belief that progress doesn’t need noise- it needs vision.

Since its launch, the UNILAG–Nord plant has assembled several vehicles for on-campus transportation and commercial use. It has also trained dozens of students through industrial attachments and research programs. Behind the scenes, the university’s research teams are exploring how to use sustainable materials, renewable energy, and advanced automation to push Nigeria’s auto industry into the future.

This quiet progress mirrors the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a vision of a continent driven by self-reliance, innovation, and inclusive growth. While others chase publicity, UNILAG’s achievement stands as a model of what happens when education meets purpose. It’s proof that African institutions can lead global conversations in technology, sustainability, and entrepreneurship without waiting for foreign validation.

UNILAG has flipped the script, choosing silence that delivers results. Every car that rolls out of that campus assembly line tells a story of possibility. Every student who tightens a bolt or calibrates a machine is part of a quiet revolution redefining what it means to learn, build, and lead in Africa.

This isn’t just about cars. It reflects courage, education, and national pride. It’s about the power of doing the work even when no one is watching. While others seem undecided, UNILAG builds cars. And in doing so, it builds the kind of future Africa has been waiting for, one engineered by its own people, powered by its own ideas, and driven by its own determination.