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Eight years after, Nigeria’s auto policy wobbles

Published

5 years ago

December 27, 2021

Stakeholders still await auto policy’s full implementation eight years after its introduction, FEMI OWOEYE reports

Although Nigeria’s auto policy was launched almost three decades ago (1993), a development framework was not initiated until two decades after (2013); that was under President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime.

The policy and its development plan were aimed at boosting the demand for made-in-Nigeria vehicles and encouraging Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to set up local vehicle manufacturing plants. Ultimately, it was expected to revitalize and grow the Nigerian automotive sector with a multiplier effect on the nation’s economy.

No doubt, as a result of the partly implemented policy, the sector, within the last seven years has not only generated an ample of employment, it has also grown with an installed capacity to assemble about 500,000 vehicles per annum.

To this end, the industry has attracted many OEMs such as Honda, Mitsubishi, Ford, Geely, Kia, Nissan, Hyundai, Sinotruck, Shackman, Dongfeng, XCMG, Peugeot, MAN, Yutong and FAW, which have opened investment lines to Nigeria, mostly in the form of technical partnership with Nigeria entrepreneurs.

The industry also generated direct investment by indigenous brands such as Honda, Innoson, Jetvan and Proforce.

However, due to poor policy administration and failure to implement certain essential provisions of the policy, it has suffered a summersault, recording constrained capacity utilization. That is why 28 years down the line, the nation’s auto industry stakeholders are still hopelessly awaiting full implementation.

Fielding questions from this writer, Mr Luqman Mamudu, former Director of Policy and Acting Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), reiterated that poor project implementation on the part of the Federal Government had caused a setback for the nation’s auto industry.

He said, “Seven years into its 10-year tenure, there has been practically no monitoring and evaluation of the policy, apart from initial sector report in 2016/17. All the associated programmes designed to create demand for vehicles assembled in Nigeria and grow local content have been abandoned by institutions responsible to do so.”

Moreover, auto finance provision, which in the original draft of the NAIDP was meant to grant affordable loans to Nigerians to acquire locally assembled vehicles, thereby creating demand and making the secondhand imports unattractive over the years, has been jettisoned.

As if that was not enough, the Federal Ministry of Finance, by Section 38 of Finance Act 2020, further worsened the situation by reducing the protective tariff for imported fully built unit (FBU) commercial vehicles from 35 per cent to 10 per cent, while imported semi knocked down (SKD) kits remain at 10 per cent.

“As a result,” Mamudu pointed out that “Nigerian ports and streets are now flooded with all manner of used commercial vehicles and cars with consequent depletion of the nation’s foreign reserves and a weakened naira.

“Sadly, although Nigeria has established tremendous capacity utilization in the commercial vehicle body building, now you do not have to build locally, just import.”

Following the invocation of the 2020 Finance Act, it has become more profitable to simply import vehicles for sale than venturing into local assembling.

Mamudu stated further, “Automotive assembly, especially final assembly, which dominates assembly activities in Nigeria, is certainly unprofitable to the assemblers compared to outright import. The protective tariff and levies are equally vexatious to many interests, as they wish to import freely.

“So, the implementation process needs to have been carefully managed to quickly ramp up to the CKD and components manufacture, where all would be happy.

“This is why the process requires close monitoring and adjustment to align with public concern. It is because there is no reasonable feedback that those who had earlier opposed the policy in the first place seem to be having the upper hand. The Finance Act 2020 with its devastating effects is one such example. It particularly accused the policy of slow or ineffective impact and set forth to remove the protective measures without consulting stakeholders.

“The implementation of the auto policy requires sacrifice from all in the interest of growing the real sector. But such sacrifice has its limit. The protective tariff was designed to be reduced as the industry gained traction, but it’s not being nurtured to do so.”

On the state of the NAIDP bill, Mamudu, who is now the Managing Partner, Transtech Industrial Consulting, said the last information he had was that the bill was under expert review.

In his view, however, the reviewed draft of the NAIDP should be shared for stakeholders’ input, particularly the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA) before its final passage and signing into law.

Being the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria has in the past six years been under pressure from the OEMs to complete the implementation circle of its auto industry development policy. The OEMs could see Nigeria becoming an automotive manufacturing hub of the continent.

But as of the time of putting this story together, the nation’s auto policy remains under a dark silence. Even stakeholders are also in the dark.

In the meantime, while importers of used vehicles and new fully built units smile to the bank, the nation’s economy bleeds.

– Nigeria Auto Journal, December 2021

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NADDC Pushes Affordable Auto Loans to Boost Vehicle Ownership, More Jobs

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

NADDC Pushes Affordable Auto Loans to Boost Vehicle Ownership, More Job

The National Automotive Design and Development Council has called for far-reaching reforms in vehicle financing to make car ownership more affordable while boosting local vehicle assembly, job creation and industrial development.

The Council said a properly structured financing system could turn vehicle credit from a mere consumer lending product into a major economic tool for expanding productive mobility and strengthening Nigeria’s automotive value chain.

Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Joseph Oluwemimo Osanipin, stated this in an address delivered on his behalf by the Council’s Principal Information Officer, Tanko Kyumnom, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Auto Sectoral Group Symposium in Lagos.

The symposium, held on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Henry Fajemirokun Hall of LCCI, was themed: “From Subsidy to Credit: Can Vehicle Financing Replace Fuel Subsidy as Nigeria’s Mobility Equaliser?”
Osanipin said the growing cost of mobility had made it necessary to explore financing models that would enable individuals, businesses and transport operators to acquire vehicles without bearing the full cost of ownership upfront.

According to him, spreading vehicle payments over an agreed period could provide a more sustainable pathway to vehicle acquisition, provided that the financing products are affordable, accessible and structured around the economic realities of Nigerian consumers.

He, however, cautioned that simply making credit available would not be enough.
“Vehicle financing offers a more sustainable approach by enabling individuals, businesses and transport operators to acquire vehicles and pay for them over time,” Osanipin stated.
The NADDC DG said the bigger opportunity lies in linking vehicle financing with the growth of locally assembled and Nigerian-made vehicles.

He explained that increased access to credit for locally produced vehicles could generate wider economic benefits by stimulating demand for domestic assembly, supporting component manufacturers, creating jobs and strengthening local supply chains.

Osanipin therefore urged stronger collaboration among government institutions, financial institutions, vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders in designing financing schemes capable of supporting both mobility access and automotive industrialisation.

The NADDC boss identified affordable vehicle loans, leasing arrangements, fleet financing, credit guarantees and appropriate interest-rate support as mechanisms that could broaden access to vehicle ownership and productive mobility.

lt also stressed the need for repayment structures that take into account the earning patterns and business realities of Nigerians, particularly transport operators and small businesses whose vehicles are directly linked to their income-generating activities.

Osanipin maintained that the objective should extend beyond increasing the number of vehicles on Nigerian roads.
“The goal is not simply to put more vehicles on Nigerian roads. It is to ensure that Nigerians can access productive mobility without placing an unsustainable burden on government finances or household incomes,” he said.

According to him, a properly structured automotive financing system could create a stronger connection between mobility, economic inclusion and domestic vehicle production.

“With the right policies and partnerships, vehicle financing can become a powerful instrument for mobility, economic inclusion and automotive industrial development,” Osanipin added.

The NADDC’s position places vehicle financing within the broader effort to build a sustainable automotive ecosystem in Nigeria—one in which access to credit supports vehicle users while also creating stronger demand for local assembly, components and associated automotive services.

Auto

Jetour T1 Storms Abuja as Automaker Accelerates Nigeria Expansion

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

Jetour T1 Set to debut in Abuja as Expansion Gains Momentum

Following a successful debut in Lagos, Jetour Nigeria will host the Jetour Experience Abuja from September 22 to 24, 2026, positioning its all-new T1 model as a major competitor in the country’s growing adventure SUV market.

The three-day event in the Federal Capital Territory will give prospective buyers and motoring enthusiasts direct access to product demonstrations, expert-led technical sessions, and hands-on test drives.

“Strong participation, extensive test drives, and significant sales enquiries at the Lagos edition, coupled with growing demand from Abuja residents, influenced the decision to bring the experience to the nation’s capital,” the company said in a statement. The show holds at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki.

To support its growing national footprint, Jetour Nigeria has established a network of seven accredited dealers: Elizade Nigeria Limited, New Era AutoVehicle Services Limited, Kojo Motors, Germaine Auto Centre, Tab Autos Limited, R.T. Briscoe Motors, and Mandilas Autos. The partnerships cover retail sales, genuine spare parts supply, and comprehensive after-sales maintenance.

Jetour T1 Set to debut in Abuja as Expansion Gains Momentum

Auto

Abuja Demand Rises as Jetour Brings X70 Plus Experience to FCT

Published

7 days ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Abuja Demand Rises as Jetour Brings X70 Plus Experience to FCT

Jetour Nigeria is taking its seven-seater X70 Plus SUV to Abuja as rising interest from motorists in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states fuels the brand’s latest push to deepen its presence across Nigeria.

The X70 Plus will headline the Jetour Experience Abuja, holding from September 22 to 24 at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki, following the strong response recorded during the Lagos edition, where motorists turned out for test drives and made enquiries about Jetour models.

The Abuja activation is designed to give prospective buyers direct access to the X70 Plus and other models, with opportunities to test-drive the vehicles, engage product specialists and experience their technology, safety and comfort features.

The X70 Plus is positioned as a family-oriented SUV, offering seven-seat capacity and a range of features targeted at customers seeking comfort, technology and practicality.

The SUV is available with 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre turbocharged engine options, with outputs of up to 145kW and 290Nm of torque, paired with a dual-clutch automatic transmission.