PRESS RELEASE : UK Government reiterates commitment to Africa’s green industries [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 August 2023.
The Foreign Secretary meets a key Nigerian player in electric vehicles, MAX Nigeria, backed by UK investors from the UK’s Manufacturing Africa programme.
In line with the UK Government’s commitment to supporting clean, green and sustainable economic growth in Africa, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited a Nigerian e-mobility platform and electric vehicle assembler, MAX Nigeria.
With support from the UK-funded Manufacturing Africa programme, MAX raised $31 million to ramp up the assembly of electric two- and three-wheelers. MAX is now gearing up for a third capital raise, to fund its expansion to become a regional e-mobility player. MAX Nigeria has empowered over 21,000 drivers operating in 8 cities within Nigeria and has contributed to cutting 52 metric tons of CO2 emissions from the environment.
Manufacturing Africa’s team of McKinsey consultants conducted a market assessment of the electric vehicle value chain for MAX, contributing to their electric vehicle (EV) scale-up strategy. UK-linked financiers including Novastar (backed by British International Investment) and Shell Foundation are some of the organisations financing MAX’s growth. MAX has also found a UK business partner in Field Ready, to support them on recruitment.
Work with MAX is part of the UK’s support for economic growth, job creation and value-addition in Africa that aligns with global climate priorities.
British funds continue to support game-changing entrepreneurs and companies in Africa. British International Investment manages a $4.7bn investment portfolio in Africa, including 86 companies and 43 funds in Nigeria alone. Other funding sources include:
Infracredit, which provides local currency guarantees to unlock long-term infrastructure financing in Nigeria
FSD Africa Investments, which invests in order to improve the financial instruments supporting Africa’s green economic growth
the Climate Finance Accelerator, a public-private finance initiative that supports low-carbon projects
Importantly, the UK also provides support for companies to access investment, whether from the UK or elsewhere. The Manufacturing Africa programme is supporting 22 manufacturers to land investments in Nigeria, with a pipeline of $664m+ foreign direct investment (FDI). The programme supports over 120 companies across 5 countries in Africa, which are mitigating 239,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, while creating 14,000 new jobs.
British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery said:
I am delighted to visit MAX Nigeria with our Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. MAX are truly innovative and entrepreneurial, solving a thousand problems at once to bring affordable electric vehicles to West African riders.
It is fantastic that a combination of UK public and private sector support is helping MAX to create jobs, bring new skills into the market, and solve climate change challenges. We will continue to support companies doing this groundbreaking work on the continent.
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MAX Nigeria, Adetayo Bamiduro said:
Our mission at MAX is to continue scaling the impact of our vehicle subscription platform across Africa and to deliver on our commitment to provide sustainable income to millions of mobility entrepreneurs by enabling them to access income-generating, energy-efficient, and electric vehicles that meet the essential needs of Africans.
