Universities across Africa are stepping up efforts to equip engineers with the advanced skills needed to manufacture electric vehicle components while cutting waste and production defects.
Researchers from Botswana, South Africa, Ghana and Kenya are collaborating under the Network for Zero-defect and Zero-waste Digital Manufacturing for Electric Vehicles’ Components (NeDMEV), a project that combines advanced manufacturing with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and Big Data Systems.
The partners met at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) for a four-day mid-term review, 30 months into the project, to assess progress and chart the next phase of the initiative.
The project is seeking to build a pool of engineers and researchers capable of applying technologies such as laser-based and additive manufacturing to the production of electric vehicle components, while creating skills for emerging green jobs and supporting climate change mitigation.
JKUAT Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Production and Extension, Prof Kwanza said the initiative was timely, particularly as Kenya experiences rapid growth in electric mobility.
“Kenya is glad to host one of the fastest growing e-motorbike industries in Africa; this sector needs input of skills and experts to support continued growth,” Prof Kwanza said.
He said the partnership had strengthened JKUAT’s research ecosystem by linking African institutions with European partners and creating opportunities for students and staff to gain practical experience across borders.
At the centre of the project is scholar and staff mobility, with about 60 exchanges targeted over its lifetime. Prof Kwanza said such exchanges offered benefits that extended beyond individual participants by strengthening institutional capacity and creating networks for future research.
“Students and staff will gain real, practical skills in advanced and specialised manufacturing, that will provide solutions in e-mobility,” he said.
The project has already recorded progress in its training programme. NeDMEV coordinator Prof Eyitayo Olakanmi said 10 PhD scholars had been recruited, while 15 Master’s students had successfully completed at least their first year of study by June 30, 2026.
The scholars have been involved in research aimed at developing electric motorbike components using additive manufacturing.
The programme is also beginning to translate training into opportunities, with one Master’s student and one undergraduate student already working at JKUAT.
Staff exchanges have similarly strengthened research supervision. Two JKUAT staff members, Dr Onesmus Muvengei, Dean of the School of Mechanical, Mechatronics and Materials Engineering, and Dr Lucy Kariuki of the Department of Mechatronic Engineering were hosted by Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), where they supported research supervision.
Prof Annelize Botes of Nelson Mandela University praised the JKUAT students hosted by the South African institution, particularly their curiosity and engagement.
“JKUAT is doing something right. The students I have worked with are very proactive and inquisitive,” Prof Botes said.
Beyond training, NeDMEV aims to strengthen participating universities through staff exchange fellowships, cross-cultural engagement and policy work on climate change mitigation.
The partners also intend to use the network to develop further joint projects focused on climate action and green job creation.
Prof Olakanmi thanked JKUAT management for its support of the project and called for continued institutional backing for future grant applications and joint degree programmes.
He particularly singled out Dr Rehema Ndeda, JKUAT’s technical team lead, for her contribution to the project and her role in advancing research on zero-waste manufacturing and e-mobility.
The visiting team also paid a courtesy call on JKUAT Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance, Prof Bernard Ikua, who pledged the University’s full support for the implementation of the project.
Prof Ikua said JKUAT remained committed to forging strategic partnerships that strengthen research, innovation and skills development, noting that the University’s strong academic and research profile had made it a preferred institution for partnerships in Kenya.
He said the University would continue creating an enabling environment for international collaborations that deliver practical solutions to emerging challenges, including sustainable manufacturing and electric mobility.
