Nigeria sets 2026 auto summit to address EV, CNG financing gaps
Nigeria's top automakers and regulators will convene at the 2026 Nigeria Auto Industry Summit to address the policy, infrastructure, and financing gaps hindering the country's transition to electric and compressed natural gas vehicles.
Leading automakers and Nigerian government regulators will gather in Lagos on July 30, 2026, for the Nigeria Auto Industry Summit to map out the country's transition to electric and compressed natural gas vehicles. The event, organized by the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association and the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), is designed to address the infrastructure and financing gaps hindering alternative fuel adoption.
For investors and auto executives, the summit underscores Nigeria's push to build a domestic clean mobility ecosystem under President Bola Tinubu's administration. With traditional fuel costs remaining a major economic pressure point, the government is positioning CNG and EV adoption as a dual strategy to reduce transportation expenses and attract private capital into local vehicle assembly.
Major brands including Toyota (Nigeria), Coscharis Motors, Jetour Nigeria, and Simba Group have already confirmed their participation. Financial institutions, fleet operators, and technology providers are also expected to attend the Radisson Hotel event. The speaker roster includes Federal Road Safety Corps corps marshal Shehu Mohammed, NADDC director-general Joseph Osanipin, and Ismaeel Ahmed, chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and EVs.
Market participants will focus on strategies for expanding EV charging networks and CNG refuelling stations, while assessing the regulatory framework needed to support sustainable transport. Rasheed Bisiriyu, chairman of the summit planning committee, emphasized the current policy momentum. “The summit comes at a critical period when Nigeria is implementing policies aimed at reducing transportation costs, lowering carbon emissions, and encouraging greater investment in alternative energy mobility solutions,” he said.
Organizers intend to generate actionable recommendations to guide federal investment in alternative fuel technologies and position Nigeria within Africa's emerging clean mobility market. NAJA chairman Theodore Opara noted that achieving these commercial objectives requires coordination across the value chain. “We are bringing together regulators, manufacturers, energy providers, transport operators, safety agencies, and consumers because the transition to clean mobility requires collective action. The objective is not only to discuss policy but also to identify practical solutions that will accelerate Nigeria’s journey towards affordable, cleaner, and more sustainable transportation,” Opara said.
