Zeetin Boss, Azibaola Robert, Makes Headlines With Electric Car Design

The importance of made in Nigeria products, goods and services cannot be undermined. Currently, most of the foods consumed in the country are produced in Nigeria thanks to the present administration, which made sure that locally, made products like rice, beans and other consumables gain unhindered aadded to the market. But it is not yet Uhuru for other products like automobiles, machines, engines and other products which are still struggling to gain relevance in the Nigerian market.

For instance, most goods produced in Aba and Nnewi, ranging from fabrics to shoes, to machines, tyres and other commodities are yet to gain relevance as many Nigerians always prefer foreign-made products. That was why some indigenous companies have been struggling to write their names in the sands of time.

One of such companies is Zeetin engineering owned by Azibaola Robert that deals with machines fabrication and other things. For Robert, born 52 years ago, in Otakame, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, he believes that the country has a lot to offer to the outside world ranging from what he does to tourist attractions, which made him come down from Abuja on 14-day expedition into some forests in Bayelsa state recently to discover and explore.

He said: “For me, you must not be a politician before you make an impact in life, especially as somebody that is closely related to the former president of Nigeria Good luck Ebele I would have followed the path of politics but decided to carve a niche for myself.”

“Leaving his first love which is the law profession, Robert diversified into engineering which he initially didn’t have firsthand information about but for his passion, he is actually not doing badly as he has promised all that has had a close contact with him that he will surely manufacture the first electric car in Nigeria.

“To pursue that dream, Robert has acquired a lot of machines like hydraulic angle rolling machine, hydraulic press brake, hydraulic steelworker machine, hydraulic swing beam shears machine, tank dish flanging machine, plate rolling/ bending machine, 5-axis water jet cutting machine, plasma cutting machine, UMC 1600 machine and accuway lathe machine to mention but a few.

“All of these put together according to the CEO of zeetin engineering can produce any component or part needed to produce a car, truck or any other machine.” Robert told South-South focus that he was not only going to invent the electric car but he was going to make electric cars. He said: “Am not inventing the electric car. I’m going to make electric cars. I’m going to make cars for Nigerians.

By the grace of God, I’m going to be the first only nonengineer that is going to make cars. It’s one of my ambitions to achieve something as a legacy and leave it behind. “Making of cars is not rocket science. The making of cars as it stands today is elementary science. We as a people, like so much luxury. “We don’t pay attention to creating that luxury.

We keep importing luxury. A car is basically a house made up of metals and engines that move it around. You can make the engine. You can create a car however you want it. “We Nigerians we like a finished product than making it. In the 80s and 90s, technologies were headed from one country to the other and machines that make machines were hauled.

“They can’t buy without government approval. Today because of globalization, no government has the capacity to control who is selling machines except those ones for nuclear energy. “Nigerians find it difficult to buy machines that make machines. So these cars that you are seeing are made by machines. Why don’t we buy the machines that make machines? We rather buy the cars (finished product).

“For me, I’m a very inquisitive person because I always want to know. I can destroy a building to know how the foundation was laid. That is what gives me pleasure. So, I can destroy my car to know how it is made. That is the bedrock of science. Science is research. “So, I find pleasures in buying machines that make machines that is how my brain is wired. If you look at what I have acquired in life, 60 to 70 per cent are things that can make things.

“The machines that I have are the ones that give people jobs, teach people skills, how to drive excavators. “The machines that I have I can boldly say that nobody has it. The machines that can make machines which I imported from different countries, I even have more machines than those that supply us machines. Give the design and I will make the machines so I’m on the footpath to make Nigeria automobile. “Making things is what I have passion for the electrical car is just part of it. I want to make excavators, trucks vehicles, in fact, everything that anybody that has a train abroad can make, I want to make it.

“Whether with the best quality or not, I will improve as time progresses. I think the people will be proud if I make an excavator, a non-engineer who is a lawyer by profession and from the Niger Delta.” Of course, to buttress his ambition, Robert recently granted audience to the management of Hydropolis Investment Limited subsidiary of mainstream energy solutions, operators of the Kainji dam hydro where he told them that only strategic collaboration amongst technology-driven Nigerian companies can provide a veritable vehicle for fasttracking the infrastructural development of the country.

The group had visited Zeetin engineering factory as part of collaborative efforts for the industrialisation of Nigeria particularly on the building of the Hydropolis Industrial Park in Kainji in Niger State. There, Robert emphasized that Nigeria’s infrastructural development can easily be fast-tracked when companies especially those that were technology-driven collaborate strategically for the overall infrastructural development and growth of the country. He stated “Nigeria’s infrastructural development can easily be fast-tracked when our companies especially those that are technology-driven collaborate strategically for the overall infrastructural development and growth of our country. “That is what we are doing here in Zeetin. We are providing pioneer engineering solutions to Nigeria for the overall development of the country.

This will spur several other Nigerians and companies to follow suit and before you know, Nigeria will emerge as a technologically advanced country in the world.” Abdulmalik Ndagi, the project coordinator of Hydropolis Investment Limited had expressed satisfaction over Zeetin’s capacity to provide the technicalbackupforthebuildingof theindustrial park. Ndagi said Zeetin and Hydropolis will work out modalities that will enable the two companies to work together for the realization of laudable projects in Nigeria. Ndagi added: “What we have come to see in Zeetin has overtaken our own plan.

We need to work out modalities on how we can work with Zeetin to replicate this factory in our industrial park. “This will help us bring down the cost of our project which will also enable us to accomplish it faster in the interest of Nigeria. “The machines you have here are far beyond what we envisaged and they will be of great benefit to us. So, there is definitely a need for us to have collaborated with you.” Yet Azibaola Robert in his inquisitiveness still wants the tourism industry to have a boast where foreigners will also come and visit Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta region.

Source: New Telegraph

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