Ajayi Joshua Oluwatobi, an entrepreneur from Nigeria, left his rising career at Mercedes-Benz to build Nord, one of the country’s first homegrown car brands. His mission is to make new vehicles durable, stylish, and affordable for everyday Africans.
For decades, Nigeria has relied on imported cars. In 2023, vehicle imports surged by over 700%, flooding the roads with familiar badges like Toyota, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz. Locally made vehicles remain a rare sight, but Oluwatobi is determined to change that.
His journey started during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posting at Mercedes-Benz Nigeria, where he was later hired full-time. He quickly climbed the ranks and eventually became CEO of Jetvan, leading Mercedes-Benz vans from less than 1% to 7% of the market share. His efforts earned him the “2013 Mercedes-Benz Best Sales Performance for Africa” award.
But in 2016, Nigeria’s economy fell into recession, and the naira crashed. Luxury vehicle sales dried up, and Oluwatobi saw firsthand how unaffordable imported cars had become. “We were selling luxury vehicles. Suddenly, no one could afford them,” he told Business Insider Africa. “Customers who once bought new buses were now stuck repairing old ones. At one point, I feared losing everything. I knew I had to find an alternative.”
That realization led him to a bold idea: build a car brand Nigerians could actually afford. He began sketching prototypes, brought in a German firm to fine-tune the designs, and traveled to Thailand and China to find reliable suppliers. In 2018, after years of planning, the first Nord vehicle rolled out of production.
“We are building a company that gives Nigerians world-class vehicles at globally competitive prices,” Oluwatobi explained. “A car that retails for about $16,000 in Japan or the U.S. often sells for $45,000 in Nigeria. Nigerians deserve better.”
Nord now offers models that include an entry-level electric vehicle priced at around ₦16 million (roughly $11,000). Still, many Nigerians remain loyal to foreign brands. “Buying is often emotional,” he said. “That’s why commercial vehicles sell so well, the decision is driven by business, not sentiment. For personal cars, people lean toward foreign brands even when local options exist.”
Government support may help shift that mindset. Through a ₦20 billion consumer credit fund, Nigerians can now buy locally assembled vehicles from companies like Nord and Innoson. Oluwatobi believes more incentives, tax breaks, and public sector purchases of locally made cars could accelerate growth in the industry.
Nord currently runs two plants in Lagos -- a 2,100m² facility in Sangotedo and another 5,400m² factory under construction in Epe. The company can assemble up to 20,000 vehicles a year, with the potential to scale to 100,000. It has already sold vehicles in Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and Egypt.
For Oluwatobi, this is about more than numbers. “We want Africans to say, ‘Because of Nord, I finally own a brand-new car,’” he said. It’s an ambitious vision, but one that’s slowly driving change across Africa’s automotive landscape.
Learn more about the brand, visit their official website NordMotion.com