‘No serious government toys with automotive industry’

• Auto policy review taking too long, BKG tells FG

Managing Director of BKG Exhibitions Limited, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, has lamented the dwindling fortunes of the Nigeria’s auto industry, noting that government must immediately focus its attention to the sector to boost the national economy.

He stated this on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of 16th edition of Lagos Motor Fair and Autoparts Expo Africa.

He underscored the importance of the auto industry to the economy of the nation and urged the Federal Government and other stakeholders to work in synergy for its accelerated development.

He stated, “The sector is very important as it shows physically the state of the economy and it generates much revenue and creates enormous employment.

“No serious government toys with it. It is a sector that affects virtually everything. If it is not rightly re-positioned now it will in the very near future negatively affect a whole lot in the life of the people and economy.”

He said this would ensure that the programme initiated about nine years ago achieve its desired goals.

The BKG MD, who is also chairman of the organising committee, Lagos Motor Fair, also called on the Federal Government to urgently come out with its promised reviewed National Automotive Industry Development Plan to reflect the realities and developments its implementation has thrown up.

He said, “We are racing against time and it does not augur well for the stakeholders, especially those that have invested billions of naira in automobile assembling/manufacture in Nigeria.”

Specifically, he suggested that the government should collaborate with the sector stakeholders to make the industry better.

“There is an urgent need for all the stakeholders to close ranks and pursue the development of the sector with more focus and dedication. They need to ensure unity of purpose and always utilize every window of opportunity such as this, to draw the attention of policy makers and implementers to the challenges in the sector,” he advised.

Agwu noted that the sector was currently facing a seriously challenging time in Nigeria, lamented that “a lot of companies have closed shop while a large number (firms) are merely existing and direly in need of life support. This can be confirmed by the number of exhibitors in this edition.

“Ordinarily, it is the delight and wish of any serious player in the industry to showcase amongst others but here we are witnessing the opposite.

“I, therefore, call on all involved to synergize by having one common front and fora where we interface with the government regularly, since it remains the biggest spender in the sector and also the policy maker and implementer. We will be able to move our business forward and better when we do this and more as developments arise.”

He stated that the BKG Exhibitions and its partners remained committed towards using this key annual event to strengthen Nigerian auto parts markets’ role as the hub of the sector’s business in Africa.

“The intention is to make players in the sector from other countries in the continent to be buying from the Nigerian markets. Nigeria has the resources and capacity to play such a role and it will be a very big disservice to Nigeria and its people if another African country does this ahead of Nigeria,” he said.