Founder
African Motor Works (AMW)
Mustapha Abubakar Gajibo is a Nigerian innovator and founder of African Motor Works (AMW), a company pioneering the design and production of locally built electric vehicles. Born in Borno State in 1992, he developed an early passion for engineering and renewable energy, eventually shifting from university studies to hands-on innovation.
He began converting petrol-powered tricycles and buses into solar-powered electric vehicles in 2017, later progressing to manufacturing electric minibuses and tricycles from scratch using mostly local materials. His electric buses-capable of over 200 km on a single charge-mark a major milestone in Nigeria's push toward clean mobility. Through AMW, Mustapha is expanding into renewable-energy-powered EV manufacturing, CNG integration, and battery innovation while opening EV sales points and charging stations in Abuja, Lagos, and Bauchi.
His work has earned national and global recognition, including the National Productivity Order of Merit Award and the Environmental Impact Person of the Year 2022. He has been featured by major international media and contributes to Nigeria's EV policy development through the NADDC Technical Committee.
