The Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in Ogun State, on Friday, Dr. Mukail Akinde, announced that the institution is planning to establish a mini assembly plant for the production of its newly invented electric automated tricycle.
According to The PUNCH, Akinde also called on the Federal Government and corporate organizations, particularly those in the manufacturing sector, to support the polytechnic’s efforts to see the tricycle brought into commercial production.
He highlighted that successfully mass-producing the tricycle would help reduce importation, ease pressure on foreign exchange, and create job opportunities for the country’s youth.
Akinde shared these insights during a visit to the polytechnic’s innovation center by the institution’s Governing Council, led by Chairman Alhaji Garba Gashua, and representatives from the National Automotive Design and Development Council.
The visit was aimed at inspecting the newly developed electric automated tricycle, which the polytechnic is the first to produce.
The rector urged the Federal Government to increase funding for the institution to foster further innovation, research, and development.
“My expectation now is to see how we can take the tricycle to the industry. Let me also tell you that this is just the prototype, the main design will contain three people; the rider and two other people at the back. It will also contain a solar-powered panel that will be charging the tricycle. That has already been designed but we are looking for people to partner with like Innoson or whoever that will help us take the innovation to the industry for commercial production.
“If we cannot produce this tricycle in commercial quantity, it means that we shall be importing it and this will pile more pressure on our exchange rate. So we are asking for agencies that will support us and also fund this polytechnic so that we can do better. We want to have a mini assembly plant here in the way we can produce like 10 tricycles or more. I want to assure you that by next season we are producing three of these tricycles that we shall be using on our campus,” said Akinde.
He further explained that the tricycle will seat three people and feature a solar-powered panel for charging.
Additionally, it can reverse, a feature not commonly found in existing tricycles.
Chairman Alhaji Garba Gashua expressed his excitement and pride in the polytechnic’s innovation, vowing to rally support to bring the project to fruition.
“I have been so impressed with the tricycle produced by the polytechnic. I rode in it from the innovations center to the administrative complex. I am equally happy that almost what the polytechnic used in the production were sourced locally. We are however proposing that the next one that they will do should contain three people at the back and then one person at the front just the way our normal tricycle works. The representative of the National Automotive Centre who came with us to inspect the tricycle has said he’s quite impressed with the innovation. We surely need Federal government assistance for this polytechnic so that they can expand the scope of this machine. We don’t have the funds but we shall go beg the Federal government to come to our aid,” said Gashua.
The Director of Vehicle Electrification at the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Mr. Ayinde Abdullahi, also commended the initiative.
He noted that the completion of various raw materials companies being built by the Federal Government would significantly boost local production in the automobile industry.
The Director of the Innovation Centre, Jide Soyemi, noted that the center, established three years ago, aims to equip students with cutting-edge technology not covered in the curriculum but vital in the industry.
Soyemi explained that the innovation center exposes students to areas such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, drone creation and operation, particularly for agricultural purposes, and portable inverters for micro-businesses.
The latest invention, the electric tricycle, saw students contributing over 80 percent to the project’s development.
