Nigerian automotive designer and former Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jela...
Nigerian automotive designer and former Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu, MFR, has urged students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, to become fearless innovators and builders capable of contributing to Nigeria’s advancement and global development.
The Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Aliyu made the call while speaking as a guest speaker at the launch of the university’s “Create Before You Graduate” programme, where he shared his professional experiences, insights and vision with the students.
According to him, university education should go beyond obtaining certificates, stressing that students must acquire the confidence, creativity and capacity to create solutions, opportunities and value for society.
“You have to become fearless builders of fantastic empires. Builders of a society that becomes an integral part of human civilization,” Aliyu said.
The automotive designer, who previously worked as a senior creative designer at General Motors in the United States, served as Director-General of the NADDC from 2017 to 2023.
Aliyu described the “Create Before You Graduate” initiative as a significant opportunity for students to discover and develop their potential by applying their talents and determination to solving problems confronting Nigerians in their daily lives.
He said the capabilities of young Nigerians must be reawakened and channelled into what he described as an “innovation hyperdrive” capable of producing remarkable accomplishments for the country.
The former NADDC boss further encouraged the students to take advantage of modern technological tools, as well as the guidance and mentorship of their lecturers and partner experts, to develop solutions that could compete globally.
He urged them to see themselves not only as Nigerians but also as members of the global community, capable of sharing constructive ideas and aspirations while developing solutions to global challenges.
“Never allow anyone to discourage you, to convince you that you cannot complete your task. Never argue with them, but be determined in your goal,” he stressed.
Aliyu also advocated greater local production and innovation, saying Nigeria should strive to produce all the goods it needs rather than depending heavily on imports.
He described Nigeria’s 85 per cent dependence on imported manufactured goods as “ridiculous”, warning that such dependence was detrimental to the growth and long-term sustainability of the Nigerian economy and the wellbeing of its people.
According to him, Nigeria possesses substantial deposits of the raw materials required to manufacture many products locally, as well as the human talent needed to conceptualise and produce them.
“So the monster in the house is the incredible gap between our natural and human resources and the sophisticated products necessary for modern life,” he said.
Aliyu maintained that innovation must take place within Nigeria and be driven by Nigerian minds, arguing that no country could build a successful civilisation through an economy largely based on consumerism.
“You can only do it through massive industrialization, massive innovation, and a hunger and a passion for futuristic progress,” he said.
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