A Nigerian engineer builds luxury cars from scratch

When one thinks of the automotive powerhouses around the world, nobody’s mind strays to Africa. One man, Jerry Mallo, is looking to shift that dynamic. Some might think he’s crazy, but we admire the man’s grit and determination to do what many would call impossible.

Having studied automotive engineering in London, Mallo could’ve worked for a European automaker and lived a comfortable life in a modern urban center. Instead, he has a dream which took him back to his native Nigeria and has him mocking up prototypes in a facility which isn’t nearly as nice as where he could have worked.

The sports car Mallo is developing at the moment, called the Bennie Sternum, is being engineered to endure the rough roads and other conditions found in Nigeria. Thanks to an air suspension with push-button controls, the driver can go from little ground clearance to plenty, allowing the sleek vehicle to traverse anywhere.

According to Mallo, the Sternum derives its name from the human sternum and stands for a commitment to safety. It also has some fairly impressive performance stats, like 4.2-liter V8 engine with 340-horsepower on tap and a 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds.

While the car looks intriguing and could be great, Mallo is struggling financially to get it launched. He’s been working to secure funds to go to market with the Sternum since February 2024 but hasn’t quite achieved that goal.

Despite his struggles, Mallo seems happy and determined to press forward. While one could easily dismiss Bennie Group as a startup automaker which will never go anywhere, its humble beginnings aren’t too dissimilar to those of automaker giants.