National Engineering Design Development Institute
(NEDDI) has said it is set to launch a exclusively made-in-Nigeria executive
model of tricycle, popularly known as Keke NAPEP.
The Executive Director of the Institute, Chidi
Chukwudubem, who disclosed this in Nnewi on Thursday, said the executive tricycle
would be fitted with special features to guarantee comfort and durability.
He said unlike the conventional tricycles, the
NEDDI executive tricycle would be fitted with doors, air-conditioner, soft and
comfortable seats as well as metal body instead of the regular tarpaulin cover.
Chukwudubem stated this at a ceremony for the signing
of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Anambra State Government and
some mechanical/engineering/computer engineering services training institutions
on information technology in the state.
He said NEDDI commenced work on the project about a
year ago when the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, urged
them to go ahead after seeing other bikes produced by the institute.
The executive director said the tricycle has
reached above 70 percent production level, and would have participated in the
on-going national fair, but for lack of funds.
"So it would be ready to hit the road and
markets within the next one to two weeks," he admitted.
Chukwudubem disclosed that NEDDI has other projects
it had also delivered, including its made-in-Nigeria passenger and cargo-carrying
tricycles tagged ‘NASENI M1 and NASENI M2’ respectively.
He said their products have so far been known to
record over 70 percent local content and has attracted international applause
and orders.
The director however regretted that lack of funding
has remained NEDDI's biggest challenge, and that they were ready to go into
partnership with interested manufacturers for mass production.
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