Evanspaul:
In 1997, a brilliant Igbo Electrical Engineer and Lecturer at the Federal polytechnic Nekede, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu designed and developed the Izuogu Z-600, the first African indigenous manufactured car.
The car was described by the BBC as ‘ the African dream machine as 90% of its parts were sourced locally. At a projected sales cost of 2000 dollars, it would have taken the world by storm and become the cheapest and most affordable car on earth. With mass production planned under Izogu Motors plant in Naze owerri, the prospects of an industrial revolution in Igbo land and Nigeria, was in the making.
The car was equipped with a self made 1.8L four cylinder engine that got 18mpg and allowed the car to achieve a top speed of 140 km/h. Front Wheel Drive (FWD) was chosen over Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) because a transmission tunnel, which RWD would require, would be more expensive to fabricate.
So 90% of the car’s components were made locally. General Sani Abacha set up a 12 man panel of inquiry made up of professionals to ascertain the road worthiness and authenticity of the car and after several days of probing, the committee gave Dr. Izuogu’s car a clean bill of health, recommending that some of the bumps on the body of the car be smoothened. It is worthy to note that this was five years before India built their first car known as the Indi.
At a well organized unveiling ceremony which had General Abacha represented by Oladipo Diya, over 20 foreign ambassadors and thousands of people in attendance, the federal government promised a grant of 235 million naira to Dr. Izuogu.
An excited Dr. Izuogu is still waiting for that grant till today. No dime was released to him. In 2006, the government of South Africa invited Dr. Izuogu to do a presentation about the car in the presence of several world class engineers. Being impressed with his presentation, they invited him to come and set up a plant in South Africa and begin the production of the car.
Dr. Izuogu reluctantly agreed, though he wasn’t happy that the benefits of employment generation will be lost on the locals of Naze and the Nigerian human resources environment. On Saturday, the 11th of March 2006, at about 2.00 a.m, a total of about 12 heavily armed men broke into Dr. Izogu’s factory in Naze and carted away various machines and tools including the design history notebook of Z-600, the design file Z-MASS, containing the design history for mass production of Z-600 car, and the moulds for various parts of the car.
According to Dr. Izuogu:
“It seems that the target of this robbery is to stop the efforts we are making to mass-produce the first ever locally made car in Africa. Other items stolen included locally produced timing wheel, locally produced camshaft, locally produced crankshaft, locally produced engine tappets, all 20 pieces each
Also stolen were ten pieces of locally produced Z-600 engine blocks, ten pieces of locally produced pistons, four pieces of engine block mounds, four pieces of top engine block moulds, ten pieces of engine fly wheel and two pieces each of rear car and front mudguard moulds.”The inventor regretted that not only did they lose over one N1 billion in monetary terms, but also time (about 10 years) and the energy it took to design and produce the moulds. “To worsen the matter, our design notebook was also stolen,” he stated.
He regarded the incident as a national economic disaster because the nation had lost a technological and intellectual property. This Press was quiet about this story. The set back and governments attitude frustrated Izuogu and his dream died.

Source https://m.facebook.com/106910364364989/posts/107005394355486/?app=fbl

rationalhuman:
That is why i am starting to loose interest in Nairaland, Too many fake things without any source and fact check.
This guy made a car in 1997 ,and It was five year before India? In 1974 India had tested its Nuclear weapons so it was not able to make car?? You guys are funny.

In 1942 to 1945 There were atleast 3 Big Car manufacturer in India (Industrial level , unlike this garage guy you are referring in 1997).
They were rolling cars since 40s and 50s.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_India

Btw dont compare us with anyone , we are most unproductive people of this planet, we just develops corrupt politicians and greed.

rationalhuman:
That is why i am starting to loose interest in Nairaland, Too many fake things without any source and fact check.
This guy made a car in 1997 ,and It was five year before India? In 1974 India had tested its Nuclear weapons so it was not able to make car?? You guys are funny.

In 1942 to 1945 There were atleast 3 Big Car manufacturer in India (Industrial level , unlike this garage guy you are referring in 1997).
They were rolling cars since 40s and 50s.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_India

Btw dont compare us with anyone , we are most unproductive people of this planet, we just develops corrupt politicians and greed.

Evanspaul:

Finialy no be 2 answer rationalhuman mean say u go dey rational
Your argument is not rational at all.
They produced atomic bomb doesn't mean that they can produce a car.
That car you are blabbing about wasn't produced by an Indian maybe he produced it in India.
At least to be the first indigenous car ever produced in Africa is something.
I may not be a fan of the Nigerian society as a whole but never say that Nigerians are the most unproductive people. Maybe u are unproductive and surrounded by unproductive people. But Nigerians are the most creative and productive people.
We are just paralyzed by bad government. And we always keep on trying to break through.

Evanspaul:


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.financialexpress.com/auto/car-news/top-10-facts-you-didnt-know-about-indian-cars-from-tata-sumos-name-to-first-car-built-in-india/1241750/lite/

rationalhuman:

Dont mention me without reading the sourses, cant argue without Facts and sources.
And come to your second part, People in this continent are paralyzed by bad Politicians? who Elects them?Aliens?

Evanspaul:

All these so called productive continent you re calling, all have a supportive government.
If ideas were supported by the government, or even give the people what they need to develop and build. We would have gone far by now.

rationalhuman:
Again the same point, who elects the government? Its us the public, This public is to blame, why select People like Buhari?

BTW may be off topic but seems related, Nigeria is a country created for betterment of Muslims, on the expense of Christian public.
Its Army, Its Constitution, Its political system all are here just to serve Muslim population and Islamic cause, Who do you think ruling class supports? Why Boko terrorists are still enjoying? they are hidden militias to make Islamic Nigeria. so you cant expect anything good. They want population boom (to dominate by sheer numbers). There will be no positive outcome , nothing.