Meet Jelani Aliyu the new head of NADDC appointed by President Buhari

As the head of the council, Aliyu, would
be in charge of implementing new
development policies for Nigeria's
automobile industry.
After his appointment Nigerians showed
a lot of support for Aliyu due to the fact
that he has achieved so much in the
automobile industry. Aliyu has always
been a shining star for many Nigerians.
Car designer Jelani Aliyu now appointed as the
head NADDC
He is a prominent figure known at
home and abroad for his ingenious
mind and creativity. Many of you are
inspired by the greatness of this man,
you might also be wondering about his
background, what inspires him and how
he got to where he is today.
Below is the list of
everything you need to know about the
new head of NADDC, Jelani Aliyu.
1. Background
Jelani Aliyu is a Muslim, he was born in
Kaduna, in 1966 to parents, Aliya
Haidara and Sharifiya Aliyu, from
Sokoto state. He is the fifth of seven
children.
2. Education
He attended Capital School, Sokoto from
1971 to 1978. In 1978, he gained
admission into Federal Government
College, Sokoto, and graduated in 1983
with an award as best in Technical
Drawing.
Aliyu went to Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, for his A-levels. He later dropped
out and enrolled in the Birnin Kebbi
Polythechnic in Kebbi state, where he
graduated as the best all-round student
and earned a degree in Architecture.

Like every genius, Aliyu wanted to
learn more so in 1990, he went ahead to
study Transportation Design at the
College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
He was able to further his education in
Detroit on a Sokoto state government
scholarship and he graduated in 1994.
3. Career
After graduation, he was immediately
noticed by an American multinational
corporation that designs and markets
vehicles, General Motors. GM vehicles
are sold under various brands such as,
Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden
and many more.
He began his career as a design staff at
General Motors in 1994 and he has been
with GM since then.
Jelani Aliyu is considered by many as
the super star of the General Motors
renaissance.
Aliyu joined General Motors after graduating
in1994
4. What inspires Mr Aliyu
In one of his many interviews, Aliyu
expressed that he has always been
inspired by nature, things that
surrounds him and his imagination.
For a man with a mind like his, that
simply means he sees ideas in
everything and everywhere.
In an interview with Daily Trust, in
2016, Aliyu said: “ Growing up, I’ve
always loved science fiction and in the
movies you’d see a lot of alien spacecraft
and other futuristic, imaginative things
that would inspire me to look beyond. I
also love cars a lot, even though then we
didn’t have Ferraris in Sokoto. But we
did have magazines in which I saw them
and they inspired me, too. So I put
together my love for drawing and cars
and decided to be a car designer. ”

5. His dreams for Nigeria
Aliyu says he wants an automobile
industry in Nigeria that designs vehicles
for Nigerians, a vehicle that tune into
the history and culture of Nigeria.
“ A Nigerian vehicle that is
conceptualised, designed and developed
by Nigerians for Nigerians in Nigeria.
When I say Nigerian vehicle, I don’t
necessarily mean the whole thing, but a
vehicle designed specifically for the
Nigerian populace. A vehicle in tune with
the history, culture, environment and
economic structure of the people, and I
think we are heading there.”
Aliyu wants Nigerian cars to be designed for
Nigerian culture and history
6. Achievements
Aliyu invented the Chevrolet Volt, a
battery-powered, extended range
passenger vehicle which was described
as General Motors’ most electrifying
advanced technologic vehicle.”
The Chevrolet Volt has an electric
generator powered by an internal
combustion engine with the capacity of
62 kW. It has a fuel tank capacity of 45
liters. The fuel tank combined with the
battery charge gives it enough to run for
640 miles
He Co-designed the Buick Rendezvous
He was the lead exterior designer of the
Pontiac G6
In 2014, his invention ‘the Chevrolet
Volt’ was given an award by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency
for the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the
market.
Chevrolet Volt designed by Aliyu
Like all great people in this world, Aliyu
had a rocky start but he is now seen has
one of the best minds in the automobile
industry.
With everything you now know about
the new head of NADDC, do you believe
Aliyu has it in him to make Nigeria's
automobile industry one of the best in
the world?