Building Nigeria's EV Industry to Cut Fuel Bills and Create Jobs

How EVs Are Slashing Tourism Costs in Rwanda

Electric mobility is quietly transforming Africa's tourism sector and Kigali, Rwanda, is emerging as a leading case study. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, we speak with Edwidge Cyuzuzo, COO of Izuba EVs, about how her company is using Chinese electric vehicles to power a new model of green tourism. From dramatically lower operating costs to reduced dependence on imported fuel, EVs are reshaping how tour businesses operate in landlocked economies like Rwanda. We explore: * Why EVs are more cost-effective than petrol vehicles in Rwanda * How Chinese brands like BYD are enabling early adoption * The real-world charging experience in Kigali * Business models for EV tourism and fleet operations * The role of partnerships in scaling electric mobility * Key challenges include infrastructure and regional expansion With fuel prices volatile and logistics complex across Africa, electric vehicles offer a compelling alternative — not just for sustainability, but for economic resilience. Is this the future of tourism in Africa? Can EV adoption unlock broader industrial and energy transformation across the continent? Watch now to understand how electric mobility is moving from theory to reality in one of Africa's most forward-looking cities.

From Diesel to Solar: How Nigerian School is Cutting its Energy Costs

A quiet energy revolution is unfolding in Lagos and it's happening inside a school. In this episode, we sit down with Bukola Oluwalade, Director of Abba's Heart Schools, to explore how one institution is rethinking energy, transport, and sustainability from the ground up. From fully solar-powered classrooms to electric school buses, this is a real-world case study of how Africa can leapfrog into a cleaner, more resilient future. As fuel prices rise and grid instability persists, Abba's Heart Schools made a bold move: eliminate diesel generators, cut fuel costs to zero on select routes, and power both campus and transport using solar energy. The result? Lower costs, cleaner air, quieter campuses, and greater energy independence. We break down the major issues in transitioning to renewable energy including: * How solar power replaced unreliable grid electricity * Why electric buses are transforming school transport economics * The real costs and financing behind going off-grid * Lessons for schools across Africa looking to transition * How global oil shocks are accelerating the shift to clean energy This conversation goes beyond technology and looks at how changing mindsets, planning, and building resilient systems in a volatile world can offer greater autonomy and independence for African energy systems. If you're interested in Africa's energy transition, electric mobility, or practical sustainability solutions, this is a must-watch.

How China's EV Model Is Reshaping Tanzania's Electric Mobility Future

Africa's electric mobility transition is not happening the way most headlines suggest. It's not just about importing new EVs — it's about converting existing vehicles, building local systems, and using data to make mobility work. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, Arnold Mwangakala, founder of Smart Haven Tanzania, breaks down how lessons from China's EV ecosystem, from supply chains to battery systems, can be adapted to not only Tanzania but African realities. We explore: * Why EV conversion (motorcycles & three-wheelers) is leading adoption * How battery swapping is solving range and charging challenges * The role of IoT and data in financing and scaling EV businesses * Lessons from China's manufacturing and supply chain dominance * What it will take for Africa to build its own EV ecosystem This is a must-watch for anyone interested in electric vehicles, Africa's energy transition, and the future of mobility. Also, subscribe, like, and share for more insights on Africa's EV and energy transition.

Building Nigeria's EV Industry to Cut Fuel Bills and Create Jobs

This week, The Africa EV Show heads to Nigeria, where one company is tackling three of the country's biggest challenges at once: rising fuel costs, urban air pollution, and the urgent need for industrial jobs. Our guest, Dr. Sam Faleye, is the director of Saglev, a company with an ambitious mission to accelerate the shift from internal combustion engines to electric mobility in emerging markets. Saglev isn't just importing electric cars. It's assembling vehicles locally, building charging infrastructure, and developing an end-to-end ecosystem designed especially for ride-hailing fleets, mass mobility, and commercial logistics operators. In a country that spends billions of dollars annually on fuel imports, the stakes are high. Can electric vehicles reduce foreign exchange pressure? Can local assembly build technical skills and strengthen Nigeria's automotive value chain? And how viable is it to depend on Chinese EV technology while trying to build Nigeria's manufacturing capacity? These are some of the questions we're seeking answers to in this conversation, where we'll also explore: * The gap in Nigeria's transport and energy ecosystem that Saglev set out to solve * Why local assembly matters for cost, jobs, and skills transfer * The role of Chinese EV platforms and supply chains in making Nigerian assembly viable * The business models — leasing, fleet ownership, partnerships — that are actually working * The biggest barriers slowing adoption today * And what success for Nigeria's EV industry could look like over the next decade If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and join us next time as we continue exploring how e-mobility is reshaping jobs, industry, and development across the continent. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject [https://twitter.com/chinagsproject] | @hakeenah [https://www.x.com/christiangeraud] Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject [https://www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject] YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth [https://www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth] Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/chinagsproject.bsky.social] FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com [https://www.projetafriquechine.com/] | @AfrikChine [https://twitter.com/afrikchine] Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com [https://alsin-alsharqalawsat.com/] | @SinSharqAwsat [https://twitter.com/SinSharqAwsat] JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth [https://www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth]

China's Electric Buses in Africa: Clean Transport or a New Dependency?

As African cities grow, they are choking even faster from diesel-belching public transport vehicles, which remain the backbone of urban life. In this episode of The Africa EV Show, we explore how Chinese electric buses (e-buses) are reshaping urban mobility across the continent and whether this shift represents true industrial transformation or simply a new form of dependency. Drawing lessons from China's large-scale e-bus rollout, we examine what's happening in cities like Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, and Dakar as Chinese OEMs partner with African governments and startups. Joining host Njenga Hakeenah is Prian Reddy, Senior Manager for Zero-Emission Buses at C40 Cities, who leads electric bus work across the continent. Together, they unpack the hard questions: • Are Chinese-African e-bus partnerships building real local manufacturing capacity? • Can African cities move beyond assembly into batteries, software, and core EV components? • Who controls data, financing, and power grids in this new electric transit ecosystem? • Do pay-as-you-go models empower operators — or create long-term technological lock-in? This episode goes beyond headlines to explore policy, financing, skills, minerals, grids, and industrial value chains, offering a clear-eyed look at what it will take for Africa's electric bus revolution to deliver jobs, cleaner air, and lasting economic value. As always, subscribe to The Africa EV Show for in-depth conversations on electric mobility, energy transition, and Africa's industrial future. Also, join the discussion in the comments: Are electric buses Africa's path to green industrialization — or a missed opportunity? JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject [https://twitter.com/chinagsproject] | @hakeenah [https://www.x.com/christiangeraud] Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject [https://www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject] YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth [https://www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth] Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/chinagsproject.bsky.social] FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com [https://www.projetafriquechine.com/] | @AfrikChine [https://twitter.com/afrikchine] Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com [https://alsin-alsharqalawsat.com/] | @SinSharqAwsat [https://twitter.com/SinSharqAwsat] JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth [https://www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth]