Dangote Sinotruk Rolls Out Nigeria’s First Locally Assembled Electric Heavy-Duty Truck

Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited has rolled out Nigeria’s first locally assembled electric heavy-duty truck, marking a historic milestone in the country’s automotive industry and signalling a new era of green mobility, local manufacturing and sustainable transportation across Nigeria and West Africa.

The landmark electric vehicle was unveiled at the company’s assembly facility in Ikeja, Lagos, at an event attended by senior representatives of the Dangote Group, Sinotruk Group, the Lagos State Government, industry stakeholders, customers, business partners and other dignitaries.

The rollout represents a major expansion of the Dangote Sinotruk joint venture from conventional commercial vehicle assembly into new-energy mobility, with the company now offering electric heavy-duty trucks alongside its existing range of heavy-duty trucks, tippers, light trucks, pickups and buses.

Group Vice-President, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar V.G. Edwin, said the introduction of electric commercial vehicles represented another important milestone in the evolution of the joint venture and demonstrated the Group’s commitment to embracing emerging technologies that can create value for customers while supporting Nigeria’s environmental objectives.

He said the Dangote-Sinotruk partnership was established with the broader objective of building a world-class commercial vehicle business in Nigeria, strengthening local assembly capabilities, transferring technology, creating employment and contributing to the country’s industrial development.

According to him, the partnership followed extensive evaluation of Chinese truck manufacturers before Sinotruk was selected as the preferred technology partner.

“Today, we are taking an important further step as the global economy is looking for sustainable business, that is, vehicles which will also be protective of the environment. So, we went into CNG technology and now we are going into the electric technology. This is a technology which is revolutionising the whole world,” Edwin said.

He noted that the move into electric commercial vehicles reflected Dangote Sinotruk’s determination to remain ahead of technological changes in the global automotive industry and provide customers with more transportation options.

“The electric commercial vehicle offers the potential for lowering the operating cost and reducing the tailpipe emissions. Depending on the application, the electricity cost and the charging infrastructure, it is going to be highly beneficial to the people,” he said.

The rollout also comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to transition towards cleaner energy and transportation solutions, with the Federal Government promoting the adoption of compressed natural gas and other alternative-energy technologies.

Edwin said Dangote Sinotruk was already preparing the infrastructure and technical support required to ensure that electric commercial vehicles could be effectively deployed in Nigeria.

“We recognise that this successful adoption will also require reliable charging facilities, technical expertise and spare parts and a strong after-sales support. So, we are already getting ready with a strong after-sales support. We are setting up our team,” he said.

He added that the company would also support customers with charging infrastructure and technical expertise as it works with government stakeholders, business partners and customers to develop Nigeria’s emerging electric vehicle ecosystem.

The Dangote Group executive said the electric vehicle rollout was about more than introducing a new product, describing it as a statement of the Group’s commitment to innovation, green energy and the future of mobility.

“This is more than a launch of new vehicles. It’s a statement of our commitment to innovation, our commitment to green energy, and the future of mobility,” he said.

Edwin further disclosed that Dangote Sinotruk’s long-term ambition was to develop the business into one of West Africa’s leading automotive assembly and manufacturing companies, leveraging Nigeria’s large market, industrial base and entrepreneurial capacity to serve the wider region.

He said the company would continue to deepen local assembly, facilitate technology transfer, develop Nigerian technical talent, increase local value addition and create more employment opportunities.

As part of the technology-transfer programme, Sinotruk is expected to provide training for Nigerian engineers and technicians, including opportunities for selected personnel to receive practical training at Sinotruk facilities in China.

“This demonstrates our determination to embrace new technologies and provide our customers with more transportation choices,” Edwin said.

President of Sinotruk Group, Liu Wei, described the rollout as a historic moment for Nigeria, the joint venture and the wider African automotive industry, saying the electric heavy-duty truck represented a practical response to Nigeria’s energy-transition ambitions.

He said the truck was the first new-energy truck assembled on the African continent, describing the milestone as a major step towards localised manufacturing and the green transition of commercial transportation in West Africa.

“Today, we gather in the beautiful city of Lagos to witness the official roll-off of the first electric heavy-duty truck from the joint venture. More importantly, it represents a substantial step forward for Nigeria and West Africa in driving localised manufacturing and the green transition of new-energy commercial vehicles,” Liu said.

According to him, the milestone aligns with Nigeria’s long-term carbon-neutrality objectives and energy-transition plans, particularly efforts to modernise the country’s energy mix, decarbonise transportation and strengthen industrial capacity.

He said the partnership between Sinotruk and Dangote Group had evolved significantly since its inception, with the two companies moving from vehicle assembly towards increasingly sophisticated local manufacturing capabilities.

The partnership began in 2010, while the joint venture was formally established in 2014. Its first heavy truck rolled off the assembly line in 2017, while a commercial vehicle welding and e-coating paint line became operational in 2024, marking a further transition towards localised manufacturing.

Liu disclosed that the joint venture had so far assembled more than 8,000 vehicles locally and would continue upgrading its production capabilities to serve Nigeria and the wider West African market.

He said Sinotruk would also deepen training and skills development for Nigerian engineers and technicians, creating opportunities for more young Nigerians to take up technical and manufacturing roles within the evolving automotive ecosystem.

The milestone was welcomed by the Lagos State Government, with the representative of the Commissioner for Transportation describing the rollout as a defining moment for Nigeria’s industrial and transportation sectors.

The government representative said the introduction of locally assembled electric heavy-duty trucks demonstrated that Nigeria could participate actively in the global transition towards cleaner transportation rather than remain dependent on imported automotive technology.

He highlighted the potential benefits of the initiative in reducing emissions, lowering long-term operating costs for transport and logistics operators, creating employment and equipping Nigerian engineers and technicians with advanced electric vehicle and sustainable manufacturing skills.

He also commended Dangote Sinotruk for combining global automotive technology with local industrial capacity and urged continued investment in skills development and local manufacturing.

The launch marks another significant phase in the evolution of Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited, which has progressively expanded its product portfolio and manufacturing capabilities to meet the growing needs of Nigeria’s transportation and logistics sector.

With the introduction of electric heavy-duty trucks, the company is now positioning itself at the intersection of commercial transportation, local automotive manufacturing and Nigeria’s emerging green-energy economy.

For Dangote Group, the milestone further reinforces its broader industrialisation strategy of developing local manufacturing capacity, transferring technology, creating employment and building businesses capable of serving markets beyond Nigeria.

The company’s ambition is to establish Nigeria as a strategic automotive manufacturing hub for West Africa, with locally assembled commercial vehicles supporting the region’s growing logistics, construction, infrastructure and transportation requirements.

As the first locally assembled electric heavy-duty truck rolls onto Nigerian roads, Dangote Sinotruk is opening a new chapter in the country’s automotive history, one that combines local manufacturing with global technology and positions Nigeria for a more sustainable future in commercial transportation.

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