The Local Content Development Programme is one of the core programmes of the department where Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Vehicle component manufacturers are encouraged and mandated through policies to improve on the local content development and gradually shift from Semi Knocked Down (SKD) to Completely Knocked Down (CKD) parts. This would boost indigenous local manufacturing and improve human capital development.

The Department has held various meetings with the OEMs and component manufacturers for the purpose of component deletion. The process for component deletion especially plastics, foams, rubber components etc., has commenced and its being vigorously pursued.

Also, a working Committee on Automotive Local Content Development Programme has been set up in the Council to steer the mandate of the RD&D department. This Committee met recently at the Council’s head office, Abuja to discuss and plan for the proposed industrial visit to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with the aim of collaborating with the OEMs to increase the percentage of locally manufactured components in order to encourage the component deletion programme of the Council.

Some of the basic information that are needed from the OEMs are the type of products being produced, installed capacity and possibility of expansion, products’ quality, sources of raw materials and cost of their products amongst others

The Council has done software capacity building training programmes on two software for automotive component design and development. The softwares are: SolidWorks (3D CAD software) and Midas NFX (CAE/FEA, analysis software). The training has been carried out in the six geo-political zones of the country from February 2021 to February 2023. The training was conducted on selected Nigerian graduates in the following disciplines Mechanical, Electrical, Agricultural, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.

The SolidWorks software capacity building training was carried out in South-East, South-West and North-East geo-political zones of the federation. Participants from some of the automotive assembly plants in Nigeria also participated in the training. The Midas NFX software capacity building training was carried out in North-West, South-South, and North Central/FCT geo-political zones with similar categories of people for the Solidworks training. A total of 125 participants have been trained so far. The beneficiaries of these programmes are either self-employed, employers of labour and would also be used to design and develop products for the Council.

Just recently, a one-week refresher in-house train the Trainer on the use of 3D design software such as SOLIDWORS was conducted for the Engineers at the Design Studio of the Council in Zaria Office. The SolidWorks vendor’s representative and his team (instructors) conducted the training for the staff of the Council. Two engineers from the following departments of the Council’s Zaria office; Research, Design and Development (RD&D), Testing and Standards (T&S) and Vehicle Electrification (VE) department were trained in the train the trainer workshop.

The Council has initiated an idea to design and develop an Extreme Terrain Medical Platform (ETMP) that will serve as a mobile clinic in the rural areas to attend to patients that are at far distances to medical facilities. The concept design of the ETMP has been completed and its construction has been sourced out to a consultant who has the requisite facilities to build the prototype in Nigeria under the supervision of the Council’s Engineers.

The chassis frame of the ETMP has been developed, independent suspension systems have been fabricated and attached to the chassis frame. The drive line assembly is also on-going.

The next phase on the ETMP projects is to carry out the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on the chassis frame, fabrication of the body with the use of composite materials, fabrication of the space frame, Analysis of the space frame with FEA, assembly of the body panels, electrical and electronics connections and test driving of the ETMP.

Due to the challenges being faced by the peasant farmers who cultivates less than two (2) hectares of farm land in Nigeria, the Council initiated an idea to design and develop a Solar Recharge Electric Single Axle Tractor (SRESAT) to serve as an alternative to the traditional manual farm implements for cultivating and harrowing of farm lands. This will also help a family of five to ten (5 – 10) people to charge their phones and other electrical appliances at home when the facility is idle at night.

Council is hoping to produce the first prototype of the SRESAT in collaboration with the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) team. A blueprint of the design would be developed. Thereafter, similar copies of the prototype would be produced in collaboration with other selected universities in the six-geopolitical zones of the country.

As part of the progressive development of the Council in the area of prototyping developments, the Mark II series developed by the Council in time past with an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) are being converted to electric vehicles. The vehicle is portable and is meant to serve as an alternative to the tricycles currently plying the Nigerian roads. The essence is to improve on the safety and efficiency. Though, it would run on four (4) wheels for better stability.

The Council has acquired some CNC machines namely; Plasma Cutting, AMMCO Brake Disc Lathe, CNC Drilling and Milling, Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) and Vertical Machining Centre (VMC) machines.

All these CNC machines have been installed and some staff have been trained on their elementary operations; and advanced training on the use of the machines would commence soon. These CNC machines will serve as a captive facility.

In this era of advanced technology, printing of designed models has been made easier instead of producing them manually. In order to speed up the production of prototypes, the Council has acquired a 3D Makerbot printer to fast track her activities. The machine has been installed and currently being used. Though it has size limitation, there is a plan to acquire a much bigger size printer that can print over 1,000 mm in length, breath and height of models.

Digital technology has improved life and reverse engineering activities in the Council have been tremendously leveraged. The Council has acquired a 3D scanner to enhance its reverse engineering activities. Two (2) staff attended the train the trainer workshop in Germany and have since impacted other staff with the skill on the usage of the machine.

Council in the past had designed and produced a 4-stroke, 4-cylinder 800 CC petrol engine. There was a plan to take the engine for calibration in Europe. With the advent of hike in the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and the need to reduce the greenhouse warming, the Council has proposed to improve further on this engine and convert it to Autogas engine that can run on CNG/LPG as an alternative fuel.

The redesign of the necessary components of the engine such as the top cylinder, the inlet manifold, conversion of the carburetor into injector systems, and working on other components of the engine would be carried out to get it ready for the use of CNG/LPG. The conversion kits to Autogas would also be sourced.