Focus on electric vehicles, Murray-Bruce urges Innoson

Founder of the Silverbird Group, Ben Murray-Bruce, has urged the founder of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Innocent Chukwuma, to make electric vehicles the company’s primary focus, arguing that the shift would position Nigeria to benefit from the global transition to cleaner transportation.

Murray-Bruce made the appeal in a post on X on Tuesday, where he praised Chukwuma for establishing Nigeria’s indigenous automobile manufacturing company and producing locally made vehicles.

“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.

Acknowledging Innoson’s electric vehicle efforts, he added, “You have already started the electric journey with the EX02 and the new Nnewi plant. My appeal, brother: make electric your main line, not your sideline.”

Murray-Bruce argued that the economic realities favour electric vehicles, noting that rising fuel prices and Nigeria’s abundant solar energy present an opportunity for wider EV adoption.

“Petrol is above ₦1,300 a litre, but sunlight is free in Nigeria 365 days a year. Electric cars have fewer moving parts, so they cost far less to maintain; they save families money every month, and they save Nigeria the scarce dollars we burn importing fuel,” he said.

He also pointed to Nigeria’s lithium deposits, particularly in Nasarawa State, and global trends in electric vehicle adoption as reasons for Innoson to accelerate its investment in the sector.

The lithium is already in our soil in Nasarawa. Meanwhile, one in every four new cars sold worldwide last year was electric, in China it is more than half, and Ethiopia has stopped importing petrol cars altogether. The world has moved. Let #innosonvehicles be the reason Nigeria catches up,” he added.