Nnamdi Azikiwe University final year students design and manufacture local mini van

SEVEN final-year engineering students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka have designed and constructed a mini bus using locally-sourced materials made specially to suit Nigeria’s topography and climatic condition.

 

Known as the Autozik Group, the seven are made up of six males and a female including Callistus Ezeigwe, Victor Obinani, Ifeanyi Ezeanolue, Ogbu Ikenna, Fidelis Ominigbo, Nnamdi Nwobodo and Chinaza Okoro. They were supervised by the then head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Dr Achebe.

 

Mr Ezeigwe said: "The bus was constructed from start to finish at the university’s workshop, using all necessary design software and computer-aided design tools. We constructed the chassis, down to every single part of the mini bus.

 

“We made the mini bus using mere hand tools, which means we did all of the constructions and folding, with our hands, since the university could not provide us with ground equipment, as used in most automobile companies. The mini bus which took about five months to complete, has a beautiful finishing so that people find it difficult to believe it was made in Nigeria."

 

He added that the aim was to construct a mini bus using locally sourced materials, which is more durable and can better stand the test of time, compared to other brands out there. They are hoping to build on the success of the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company that assembles cars and buses locally.

 

Mr Obinani  said: “We named it Autobully as the vehicle whose name was coined from the normal bullion van, has the shape of the mini bus. There is no doubt that Nigeria has talents but the challenge is how to harness them for the good of the nation.

 

"We have been able to achieve this feat with no help from expatriates and have shown some sense of doggedness and proficiency which must not be allowed to be swept away by the tide of brain drain. Today, Innoson designs and manufactures Hummer buses, waste vans, luxury buses, Hilux vans, saloon cars, jeeps and so on and we are hoping to follow in their footsteps."

 

Also in the same institution, five final-year engineering students produced a Formula One car. They appealed to the government to invest in the project and channel resources to the automobile sector as they seek to diversify the economy.