It was a moment steeped in pride and purpose when the University of Lagos (UNILAG) welcomed Dr. Olajumoke Omoniyi Oduwole, MFR, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to its Akoka campus on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
The Minister, a distinguished alumna of the University’s Faculty of Law, returned to familiar grounds, not merely to reminisce, but to make a bold statement of leadership by officially taking delivery of her brand-new official vehicle, proudly made in Nigeria by Nord Automobile and assembled right here at the Nord UNILAG Assembly Plant.
A Vision Fulfilled
This homecoming of Hon. Dr. Oduwole was more than ceremonial; it was symbolic. It was a full circle moment for the UNILAG vision, which captured the University’s drive for equipping students with hands-on training, driving innovation, and powering enterprises that transform the Nigerian economy.
Similarly, it was a significant milestone as Hon. Oduwole elegantly embodied the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, by choosing to patronise a locally assembled automobile enterprise. This step, which was taken on Nigeria’s Independence Day, not only demonstrates both the Minister and the government’s confidence in indigenous innovation but also spotlights the capacity of Nigerian institutions to deliver world-class solutions as the nation clocked sixty-five (65) years post-independence.
For the University of Lagos, this moment signified the fulfilment of a bold vision; one that places practical knowledge, industry exposure, and innovation at the heart of its academic mission.
It was a moment that echoed the values of UNILAG as a university committed to producing graduates who create solutions, not just seek opportunities. This is indeed made possible by the strategic plan of the University to enter into an agreement with Nord Automobile, where, as part of the University’s MoU with the company, UNILAG students gain valuable knowledge and experience through yearly internships at Nord Automobile.
Professor Bola Oboh, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics & Research), who represented Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, noted that the internship opportunity is not limited to students in the engineering field but also accommodates UNILAG students in other fields including architecture, business administration, creative arts among others.
Innovation at the Core
Minutes before seeing and experiencing her new official vehicle, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olajumoke Oduwole, MFR, along with members of the UNILAG Management team, were taken on a tour of the assemblage facility of Nord Automobile at UNILAG.
The tour, which was conducted by the Chairman/CEO, Nord Automobile, Mr. Joshua Oluwatobi Ajayi, covered the Nord UNILAG Assembly Plant, its research and development arm, manufacturing arm, assembly line workshop, and Nord Showroom where completed projects are displayed in an exquisite floor-to-ceiling glass display.
Nord Automobile, also known as Nord Motion, boasts of an impressive state of the art workshop where cars are designed and assembled from start to finish. Mr. Ajayi explained that while some parts are manufactured here in Nigeria, some are carefully sourced globally. He spoke passionately of the firm’s verve to invest in further training and expertise refinement to achieve excellence in the automobile manufacturing sector for the greater good of Nigeria.
The partnership between UNILAG and Nord Motion, established in July 2022, remains the first university-based automobile assembly plant and manufacturing hub in Africa. This groundbreaking collaboration provides students with hands-on experience in automobile manufacturing, fosters cutting-edge research and development, and extends into emerging technologies such as electric vehicle and drone assembly for commercial and security purposes.
By nurturing such transformative partnerships, UNILAG continues to reaffirm its position as a catalyst for job creation, capacity building, and national economic growth.
The Nation’s Pride in Action
Every initiative at UNILAG reflects its enduring identity as the University of First Choice and the Nation’s Pride. From lecture halls to innovation hubs, and even housing enterprises such as Nord Automobile, MADHouse by tikera, Iya Moria Restaurant & Catering Services, Korede Spaghetti, YemYem Superstores, Studio De Best and several other thriving enterprises; the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has from time immemorial provided fertile ground for the dreams of young Nigerians to take flight.
Partnering with the University of Lagos and having its presence on the UNILAG campus has indeed notably impacted the success story of Nord Automobile. The partnership idea, which according to Mr. Joshua Ajayi started as a joke after he witnessed the brilliance of UNILAG students during a programme at the University’s Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC), has now metamorphosed into such a crucial step in the trajectory of Nord Motion such that the automobile company now points to its location at UNILAG as its headquarters on the company website.
The story of Nord Motion on the Akoka campus illustrates how knowledge, skill, and vision converge to produce enterprises that speak to Nigeria’s limitless potential.
Presently, Nord Motion can assemble five (5) vehicles at its UNILAG Assembly Plant and ten (10) at its Epe Assembly Plant, daily. It boasts of having four (4) of the top ten companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as clients and the company is hopeful for an increase in demand to further scale its service delivery to the Nigerian community. The dream gets even bigger as Nord Motion aims to supply internationally in the nearest future. Nord vehicle models produced currently are Nord Flit, Nord Max, Nord A3, Nord A5, Nord A7, Nord Demir, Nord Tank, Nord Tusk, and Nord Tripper.
The positive impact goes both ways, as having Nigerian-assembled vehicles come out of the University of Lagos further reinforces the University’s identity as the University of First Choice and the Nation’s Pride.
A Symbol of Hope and Possibility
The joy on Dr. Olajumoke Oduwole’s face as she stepped into her Nord Demir and turned the ignition was as pure as it was contagious.
She assured that she would “ride it with pride as an official car in Abuja and on official engagements.” Dr. Oduwole went on to affirm that “this is a testament to supporting the Nigeria-First Initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. We are committed to supporting Nigerian businesses to scale across the country, the African continent, and beyond.”
Noting how purchasing from Nord Automobile would help boost foreign exchange, create jobs, aid education of young Nigerians and research, facilitate the inspiration and gaining transfer of technology etc., the Honourable Minister reaffirmed her ministry’s dedication to ensuring that apart from the federal government, all subnational, the FCT, and private sector know about products by Nord Automobile.
She reverberated that one of the milestones the President Tinubu administration has been able to record in the last two (2) years is the stabilisation of the economy. She averred that the growth in sales of Nord Automobile is evident, as is that of several other enterprises across the country, and that the best is yet to come. This, Dr. Oduwole asserted is the promise of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
She noted that it was for the purpose of promoting the cause of the Renewed Hope Agenda that she chose to celebrate Independence Day by buying a Made in Nigeria vehicle for official use.
Professor Oboh, who heartily welcomed the Minister on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, expressed the University’s pride in receiving one of its outstanding alumni, who has not only walked the campus in search of knowledge but has also imparted knowledge as a lecturer in the Faculty of Law before she answered the call to serve our nation Nigeria as the incumbent Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
She posited that it was even more symbolic and prestigious for the University that the Minister made her visit on such an auspicious day for such an important and inspiring moment, where she picked her official vehicle assembled not just by Nigerians in Nigeria, but assembled right on the soil of her alma mater, University of Lagos (UNILAG).
This, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor asserted will go on to motivate many Nigerians to dream out loud and believe in the limitless possibilities that abound in Nigeria for Nigerians. And the University of Lagos is proud to be a part of it.
She expressed the University’s pleasure in “the initiative of the Federal Government led by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, that made in Nigeria goods should be patronised”, which is being showcased through the Minister’s visit to the University.
This milestone is not only a testament to the nation’s faith in indigenous enterprise but also a glowing endorsement of UNILAG’s pioneering role in bridging academia and industry.
Indeed, the University of Lagos remains a living proof that with vision, collaboration, and excellence, the future can be built here in Nigeria; and proudly so.
Author: Nike Ogunshakin
Photographer and Photo Editor: Ayomide Oloyede
Article Editor: Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem
2 responses
Thank God this is happening under the watch of our future ready VC
UNILAG IS MORE THAN JUST A UNIVERSITY, IT IS REALLY THE NATION’S PRIDE