By Gregory Ward
& Hillary Ebele Nnoruka

The young entrepreneur is driving change in Nigeria with his groundbreaking company, African Motor Works.

Mustapha is transforming Nigeria’s transportation sector while focusing on affordability and sustainability.

“Our main reasons for building electric vehicles are the high cost of mobility, cost of energy and carbon emissions,” Mustapha Abubakar Gajibo, Founder and CEO of African Motor Works, tells SCENES.

The young business owner’s interest in electrifying Nigeria’s transport options was sparked by the constant problems with the country’s electricity supply.

“We spent weeks, sometimes months, even up to a year without electricity. So that has really motivated me to come up with this company,” explains Mustapha.

The start-up company manufactures 200 vehicles monthly and produces mass transit vehicles such as large buses, minibuses and tricycles. Each vehicle has a simple battery-swapping system and can be fully charged in less than 40 minutes.

African Motor Works employs 24 workers and plans to expand its workforce. According to the electric vehicle creator, building a solid team is the key to his company’s success.

“I don’t call them staff. I call them family. Whatever glory we achieve, we achieve together,” says Mustapha.

The reputation of African Motor Works is gaining momentum in Nigeria, and Mustapha hopes his venture will inspire other manufacturers across Africa. He dreams of one day seeing his African vehicles driving through the streets of New York, Beijing and other cities worldwide.

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