GLORY OF NIGERIA IN THE DIASPORA:
Nigerian born United States Scholar, JELANI HAIDAR ALIYU behind America’s General Motors’ Most Creative design, personally invented 2010 Chevrolet Volt, 2004 Pontiac G6
…making wave as Director General of the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council
*Kaduna boy celebrated senior creative designer at GM factory plant in Michigan
*Graduate of Federal Polytechnic Birnin Kebbi won two prestigious award at Ford Motor Company and Michelin, USA
*Honored Best Student at College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Named co-designer of Oldsmobile Bravada, Buick Rendezvous cars
*Outstanding as lead exterior designer for hybrid electric vehicle with a sleek arcing roofline in Yankee
*“My parent are behind my success story. They encouraged me realize my dream in life by allowing me become who I wanted to be. For example, when I attended Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and decided not want to continue there, they were supportive. On the design of Chevrolet Volt: Look at a tiny leaf, it is only a millimeter thick and yet it is a highly efficient factory. I tried to understand nature’s efficiency and design. I pulled those concepts and applied them to the Chevrolet Volt”-ALIYU
*BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/AMERICAN Foreign Bureau Chief
HE WAS the secret behind the design of America’s top vehicles: Chevrolet Volt, Pontiac G6. JELANI HAIDAR ALIYU is a Kaduna boy whose determination to attain success had no limitation. Having won numerous awards in Detroit, Michigan for his creativity, this Nigerian born naturalized American was invited back home by the Nigeria government and offered appointment as Director General of the Nigerian Automotive Deign and Development Council, a position he has been holding till date.
This Nigerian automotive designer, who worked for the American car company-General Motors was a senior creative designer at GM, until his appointment as the Director general of the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) in 2017 by Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari.
The 55-year old was born in 1966 into the family of Alhaji Aliyu Haidar and Hajiya Sharifiyya Hauwa Aliyu. He was the fifth of the seven children in the family who were originally from Dogon-daji in Sokoto State. This was why young Aliyu was moved to Sokoto for his education. He studied at the Sokoto Capital School from 1971 to 1978 and then Federal Government College Sokoto where he received an outstanding award of the best graduating student in Technical Drawing.
In 1986, Aliyu gained admission to study Architecture at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. However, Aliyu quickly dropped out from the university when he found out that studying at the university would unlikely give him the opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming a car designer as studying there is not as practical as in the polytechnic and then went on to Federal Polytechnic Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi State from 1986 to 1988 where he earned an associate degree in Architecture with an award for the Best All-Round Student. While there, he began seeking admission into design schools in Europe and the U.S. that would lead him to a career in automotive design. It paid off eventually.
In 1990, Aliyu was sponsored by the Sokoto State Scholarship board to study in the United States at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit to study automotive design. During his studies, Aliyu won two prestigious awards from Ford Motor Company and Michelin, US. In 1994, Aliyu got his qualification in automotive design and immediately joined General Motors team, where he started his design career
In 1994 after graduating from the College for Creative Studies, Aliyu joined General Motors. At General Motors, Aliyu was the co-designer of the Oldsmobile Bravada, Buick Rendezvous and the Opel Astra. He was the lead exterior designer for Pontiac G6 and the Chevrolet Volt, a hybrid electric vehicle with a sleek arcing roofline.
About his inspiration for his automotive design career, Aliyu reportedly said:
“I have always loved drawing. These are different things around me: people, objects, plants, also stuff from my imagination. Growing up, I have always loved science fiction, and in the movies, you would see a lot of alien spacecraft and other futuristic things that would inspire me to look beyond. I also love cars very much, even though then we did not have any Ferraris in Sokoto. However, 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.”
He also said, his inspirations were his parents because they let him decide what he wanted to do. For example, when he went to Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and decided he did not want to continue there, they were supportive. They did not insist that he had to remain there. On the design of Chevrolet Volt he said: “ Look at a tiny leaf, it is only a millimeter thick and yet it is a highly efficient factory… I try to understand nature’s efficiency and design and I pulled those concepts and applied them to the design and creation of 2010 Chevrolet Volt and 2004 Pontiac G6.”
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