Lead Nigeria’s Electric Vehicle Revolution, Murray-Bruce Urges Innoson

Former senator and businessman Ben Murray-Bruce has called on Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) founder, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, to make electric vehicles the company’s primary focus, arguing that Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind in the global transition to clean energy transportation

In a message shared on social media, Murray-Bruce commended Chukwuma for establishing Nigeria’s foremost indigenous automobile company and introducing locally manufactured vehicles to 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 wrote.

While acknowledging Innoson’s progress in electric mobility through the EX02 model and its new Nnewi plant, the former lawmaker urged the company to make electric vehicles its core business rather than a side project.

“My appeal, brother: make electric your main line, not your side line,” he said.

Murray-Bruce argued that rising fuel prices, abundant sunshine and Nigeria’s natural resources make a strong case for accelerating the country’s adoption of electric vehicles.

According to him, with petrol selling for over N1,300 per litre, electric vehicles powered by solar energy offer a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative for Nigerian families.

He also noted that electric vehicles have fewer moving parts, making them cheaper to maintain while reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel and conserving scarce foreign exchange.

The former senator further pointed to Nigeria’s lithium deposits in Nasarawa State, describing them as a strategic advantage in the global electric vehicle market.

Citing global trends, Murray-Bruce said one in every four new vehicles sold worldwide last year was electric, while more than half of all new cars sold in China are now electric. He also referenced Ethiopia’s decision to stop importing petrol-powered vehicles.

“The world has moved. Let Innoson be the reason Nigeria catches up,” he concluded.

His remarks have sparked conversations about Nigeria’s readiness for an electric vehicle future and the role indigenous manufacturers could play in driving the country’s transition to cleaner transportation.