ASPMDA Targets Bigger Role in Nigeria’s Automotive Future, vows tougher sanctions against fake parts

ASPMDA Targets Bigger Role in Nigeria’s Automotive Future, vows tougher sanctions against fake parts dealers

The President of the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association, ASPMDA, Ngozi Emechebe, has called for a stronger partnership with the Federal Government to reposition Nigeria’s automotive industry, deepen local production and tackle the menace of counterfeit spare parts.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the West Africa Automotive Show in Lagos, Emechebe said ASPMDA was transforming from a conventional trading cluster into a modern automotive business hub capable of supporting Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.
He said the association was ready to work closely with government agencies and key stakeholders to advance its “Keep Nigeria Moving” vision and strengthen the country’s automotive value chain.
According to him, ASPMDA has evolved significantly from its early days of informal trading into a structured organisation operating from a world-class facility designed to support large-scale automotive commerce and industry collaboration.
“All the time I have been coming to this fair, I have been dreaming of how to launch ASPMDA into the centre of this country,” he said.
“ASPMDA is a highly organised trading association. We have moved from street trading and now we have beautiful, world-class premises.”
Emechebe disclosed that discussions were already ongoing with the National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, on possible areas of collaboration aimed at accelerating automotive development in Nigeria.
He explained that the proposed partnership would focus on creating policies, institutional support and business-friendly initiatives that would improve the operations of spare parts dealers and other local automotive businesses.
“We need government support and partnership. We have a part to play in Nigeria’s automotive development agenda,” he said.
The ASPMDA president also commended the Federal Government’s vehicle financing initiatives targeted at Nigerian youths, describing them as a positive step towards expanding mobility and encouraging participation in the automotive ecosystem.
On the persistent challenge of fake and substandard spare parts, Emechebe said the association had intensified efforts to sanitise the market through stricter enforcement measures and closer collaboration with regulatory authorities.
He revealed that ASPMDA had already allocated office spaces within its complex to agencies responsible for monitoring product standards and combating counterfeit goods.
“We want to make it a cultural matter so that when you violate it, you know where you are headed,” he said.
“If you bring in your product, defend it to the end consumer and stand by it. Adulteration is not allowed.”
Although he declined to disclose the exact penalties for offenders, Emechebe warned that severe sanctions awaited anyone found dealing in counterfeit products within the market.
He also advocated increased local manufacturing of automotive components, insisting that Nigerian-made parts could outperform imported alternatives if produced according to standards tailored to local operating conditions.
“Local production is even better than foreign production,” he said.
“Whatever you want from a person, you must give it a standard Nigerians will see and buy — standards that fit Nigeria.”
Emechebe further disclosed that some ASPMDA members were already involved in the production of automotive components, adding that broader manufacturing partnerships could be explored as the industry expands.
However, he cautioned against poorly managed joint ventures, warning that many business partnerships collapse due to weak management structures and lack of accountability.
The West Africa Automotive Show attracted regulators, manufacturers, dealers and other stakeholders from across the region to discuss emerging opportunities, policy direction and challenges confronting the automotive industry in West Africa.