Nigeria Nears Commitment from EV Battery Giant CATL

Nigeria is on the verge of securing a commitment from CATL, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, to establish a manufacturing plant in Evergreen City.

This development emerged following a visit by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen, and his team to CATL’s Global Headquarters in Ningde, China. The delegation included Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule and Dr. Lazarus Angbazo, Managing Director/CEO of the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp).

During the visit, the Nigerian team toured CATL’s facilities and production lines, gaining valuable insights into the company’s operations and future development plans.

Chief Ngelale expressed optimism about CATL’s potential investment in Nigeria. “We are excited about the prospect of hosting the EV battery manufacturer that supplies Tesla, BMW, and other major automakers in our Lithium-rich zone. However, there is still much work to be done before we can celebrate,” he said.

Following the tour, the Nigerian delegation engaged with CATL’s executive management, providing an update on the progress of Evergreen City and outlining their vision for collaboration with the company.

“They responded with a detailed presentation on how their technologies and financing platforms could be adapted to meet the unique needs of Evergreen City,” Chief Ngelale noted.

Governor Sule discussed local policies and the support the partnership would receive at the sub-national level. Chief Ngelale articulated the vision of the zone in relation to the specific technologies produced by CATL, while Dr. Angbazo raised pertinent questions about the proposed collaboration.

“We all agreed on concrete next steps,” Chief Ngelale concluded.