–NAE President, Prof Bello

By Nick Ibe, Abuja

The proposed mandatory one-year Engineering Residency Programme by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has been welcomed because it will enhance skill competence and make engineers more attractive as well as employable. This is the view of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, NAE.

This was disclosed by President of the Academy, Prof. Rahamon Bello, while speaking to journalists ahead of its apex event, which includes investiture of past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, as the 14th President of the NAE, its 2026 NAE yearly lecture, presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to 10 fellows and induction of 12 new honorary fellows, to be held in Lagos.

The proposed Engineering Residency Programme (ERP), when operational in Nigeria, will be a mandatory, one-year post-graduation training initiative to be anchored by COREN, designed for fresh engineering graduates to build practical, industry-aligned skills and complete professional requirements before proceeding to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He said the residency programme, which has received the blessings of NAE, National Universities Commission (NUC) and other stakeholders, is the right way to deepen the competence of budding engineers in the country.

Bello explained further that the new curriculum the NUC had just come up with has allowed universities to engage external industry stakeholders to add value to the theoretical aspects of what engineering students are learning. In his words:

“I think the new curriculum will formalise internships for engineers. It hasn’t come up yet, but I believe that’s the way we have to go. So, as doctors go on internship, pharmacists go on internship, engineers will not be left out,” he said.

Bello, who is also the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, said the Academy has officially submitted critical advocacy papers to the Federal Government, offering actionable engineering solutions to deep-seated national crises. According to him, the NAE has also been active in fulfilling its mandate as a think-tank for the engineering sector by organising strategic policy dialogues on engineering solutions for energy, efficient and profitable operation of the nation’s refineries, transportation, wastewater management, environmental stability and climate change, among others.

–Dual-facility structure: adopted

An agreement between China and Nigeria’s companies is set to produce Nigerian homegrown electric vehicle brand.

Launch Design Shanghai and Acely, Hybrid Motors Nigeria respectively have signed the strategic partnership agreement to establish state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing facilities in Lagos and Abuja, in a move aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s transition to sustainable mobility and local automotive production.

Signed in Shanghai on May 8, 2026, the agreement marks a major milestone for Acely, Hybrid Motors Nigeria’s indigenous automobile brand developed specifically for Nigerian roads, driving conditions, and consumers.

The partnership brings together Launch Design Shanghai’s global automotive engineering expertise and Hybrid Motors Nigeria’s deep understanding of the local market to drive the development, assembly, and large-scale production of modern electric and hybrid vehicles in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer of Launch Design, Wang Xun, while speaking at the signing ceremony and Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Motors Nigeria, Jubril Arogundade, described the collaboration as a transformative step towards building a globally competitive automotive manufacturing ecosystem in Nigeria.

Arogundade said the partnership represents more than a commercial venture, noting that it reflects a long-term commitment to Nigeria’s industrial future.

“With Acely, we are demonstrating that world-class vehicles can be conceived, designed, and assembled in Nigeria by Nigerians for Nigerians.

Our collaboration with Launch Design brings international engineering standards to local production while preserving the identity of a truly Nigerian brand,” he said.

Wang Xun stated that Launch Design was proud to support the growth of Nigeria’s automotive industry through advanced engineering and manufacturing solutions.

“Our turnkey engineering capabilities, combined with Hybrid Motors Nigeria’s market knowledge and leadership, create a strong platform for success. Together, we are not only building vehicles, but helping to build an industry,” he said.

Under the agreement, Launch Design Shanghai would provide comprehensive engineering support spanning vehicle architecture, manufacturing systems, design optimisation, production engineering, and quality assurance processes.

Dual Manufacturing Strategy
The partnership will establish manufacturing operations in both Lagos and Abuja, with a projected combined annual production capacity of 70,000 units at full maturity.

The Lagos facility, located within the Lekki-Epe axis, will serve as the primary production and assembly hub with a yearly capacity of 50,000 units.

Positioned close to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, the plant is expected to support exports across West Africa, including Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire.

The Abuja facility, situated within the Free Zone Business Area of Centenary Economic City, will function as a secondary manufacturing and technology hub with an annual production capacity of 20,000 units. The plant is expected to serve Northern Nigeria and the wider Sahel region while benefiting from the Free Zone’s strategic incentives and trade connectivity.

According to the companies, the dual-facility structure is designed to improve operational efficiency, reduce logistics costs, strengthen regional distribution networks, and expand employment opportunities across multiple regions of the country.

The companies said Acely represents a forward-looking mobility solution focused on local manufacturing, energy efficiency, innovation, and sustainability.

According to the partnership framework, Acely vehicles will be developed with Nigerian environmental conditions, road infrastructure, and consumer realities in mind, while incorporating modern intelligent systems and advanced electric and hybrid propulsion technologies.

The initiative is also expected to support Nigeria’s clean energy aspirations and broader industrialisation agenda.
The companies projected that the investment would stimulate significant economic and industrial benefits, including job creation, technology transfer, local supply chain development, foreign exchange conservation, and increased regional competitiveness within Africa’s automotive value chain.

They added that the project aligns with the objectives of Nigeria’s National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) and the country’s broader drive towards industrial diversification and sustainable transportation.
Describing the agreement as a defining moment for Nigeria’s automotive sector, Arogundade said the partnership would lay the foundation for a new era of mobility driven by local innovation and global competitiveness.
“With facilities in Lagos and Abuja serving complementary regional markets, we are creating the foundation for a mobility ecosystem that is locally rooted, globally competitive, and sustainably driven,” he said.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecom licensees in Nigeria to inform consumers of major service outages on their networks through media channels, stating the cause(s) of the service interruption, and the area(s) affected by the service interruption/outage, as well as the time that would be taken to restore service.

Similarly, the Operators must also inform Consumers one week in advance where operators have planned service outages.

In a statement, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Ag. Head, Public Affairs of the commission said this development, which is contained in the “Directive on Reportage of Major Network Outages by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),” is part of the Commission’s drive to ensure timely resolution of outages, enhance quality of experience for telecom consumers, and keep consumers informed.

According to the Directive, Mobile Network Operators, Internet Service Providers and other operators that provide last mile services will also provide proportional compensation, including extension of validity, as may be applicable and in line with the provisions of the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations, where any major network outage continues for more than 24 hours.

It identified three types of major outages to include: Any network operational condition such as fibre cut due to construction/access issues/theft & vandalism and force majeure that impacts five per cent or more of the affected operator’s subscriber base or five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs); having an occasion of unplanned outage of, or complete isolation of network resources in 100 or more sites or five per cent of the total number of sites (whichever is less) or 1 cluster that lasts for 30 minutes or more; and lastly, any form of outage that can degrade network quality in the top 10 states based on traffic volume as specified by the Commission from time to time.

In furtherance of this, the Commission has further directed that all Major Outages are to be reported by operators through the Commission’s Major Outage Reporting Portal, which is accessible to the public through the Commission’s website, www.ncc.gov.ng. The portal additionally discloses the identity of the culprit responsible for the disruption.

The Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity of the Commission, Engr. Edoyemi Ogor said the “The Commission had trailed the reporting process and portal with operators for some months now before issuing the directive.

“By providing consumers and stakeholders in the telecommunications industry with timely and transparent information on network outages, we are entrenching a culture of accountability and transparency. This approach also ensures that culprits are held responsible for sabotage to telecommunications infrastructure.

“This also aligns with our broader commitment to the effective implementation of the Executive Order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which designates telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). It reinforces the need to safeguard these assets, given their centrality to national security, economic stability, and the everyday lives of Nigerians,” Ogor said.