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LSM MD extols founder’s qualities after latter posthumous industry award

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6 months ago

December 27, 2024

LSM MD extols founder’s qualities after latter posthumous industry award

*He left us a good name, says son

Founder and late Chairman of Lanre Shittu Motors (LSM), Alhaji Olanrewaju Shittu, has been honoured with a Nigerian auto industry posthumous award.

This was announced in Lagos at the 2024 edition of the annual

Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) announced this in Lagos at the 2024 recently industry awards.

The prestigious award was received by one of his sons, Mr Taiwo Shittu, who is also the managing director of the auto company.

NAJA said the award was in acknowledgement of the leading role of the LSM founder in the development of the automotive business in Nigeria, describing him as a silent achiever.

Speaking on the honour, Taiwo Shittu, who was also declared the Nigeria’s Auto Personality of the Year, praised his father for painstakingly building the LSM brand and leaving behind a good name to the delight of the children and the entire family members.

He described this as a legacy accounting for the success of the company so far since his father’s demise over a year ago.

He said, “I must thank my late father, Alhaji Razaq Olanrewaju Shittu, for building the brand name. There is nothing like a good name.

“If you don’t leave anything for your children other than a good name, the sky is the limit for them.

“In our own case, he left us money and the good name. We can’t thank him enough for leaving us with a good name.

“You can imagine that everywhere we turn to in the country, once we mention we are Lanre Shittu’s sons, we are ushered in immediately.

“People would say ‘Your father was a good man. He won’t cheat you if you did any business with him. His word was his bond; he never broke his promises’. I have heard this many times. And the only thing we can do is to build on this legacy.”

Taiwo Shittu also noted that the unity existing among the 20 surviving children of the late LSM founder was part of his father’s legacies and something for other family businesses in Nigeria to emulate.

He said, “A lot of businesses collapse after the death of their owners. Once a business founder is dead, the next you hear is that a fight has broken out and while one person is taking the arm, another is claiming the leg, the other is going for the body. And in six months, the whole empire is gone down.

“In our case, we have 20 siblings that are cooperative and believe in my ability to lead the business with my other brothers.

“We had a father who never spoiled us. He taught us sincerity, commitment and accountability.”

He also spoke about the lifestyle of the late father, saying even though he was a car dealer and loved cars, he would only change his main car after every 10 years.

“Yes, he loved cars. He used to have a Rolls Royce. But he no longer had it before he died. What he had was a Mercedes-Benz Maybach. His car garage was not packed full. Even though he was a car dealer, he changed his main car every 10 years.

“He was a very prudent man. At the beginning of his adult life, he had many cars; in the middle, he was prudent. It was at the end that he bought some flashy cars such as Lexus L600, MayBach 650 engine – at that time only he and ex-President Muhammadu Buhari had that car. He bought the car then because the family was preparing for three weddings. By time he died, the MayBach had only run 600 miles.”

The LSM chairman, according to him, started the auto business in the late 1970s as a car dealer with three vehicles.

He said he was so creditworthy that many were willing to release their vehicles to him on credit, adding that this helped the business to grow faster.

He recalled how he would travel to Ogbomosho, Oyo State, and Kaduna to buy cars and returned to Lagos with double the number he could readily paid for.

“Sometimes, he would travel as far as Kaduna to buy 12 cars from PAN, he would be the person driving the last vehicle while others were ahead driving all the way to Lagos,” he stated.

Before delving into automobile assembling, he also recalled that Daewoo and Rolls Royce were the two brands that gave the LSM a real breakthrough.

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FRSC, NADDC, NRC, others to discuss sustainable transportation at 11th Nigeria Transport Lecture Thursday

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12 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Trends Admin

FRSC, NADDC, NRC, others to discuss sustainable transportation at 11th Nigeria Transport Lecture Thursday

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Nigerian Shippers’ Council, among others, are expected to dissect and discuss sustainable transportation in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges, the theme of the 11th Nigeria Transport Lecture (NTL).
The event billed to take place on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, is organized by Transport Day Media (www.transportday.com.ng), a monthly hard copy and daily online publication.
The discourse, which will involve industry players from both the public and private sectors, will x-ray sustainability, cutting across all modes of transportation in Nigeria.
According to the Editor of Transport Day Media, Mr. Frank Kintum, the topic is relevant in contemporary times because Nigeria cannot be left behind in the embrace of cleaner and sustainable transportation.
He said, “We cannot run away from the fact that we have to continuously discuss and take action on issues concerning sustainable transportation because it comes with a lot of benefits in terms of cost cutting, life style and general productivity”.
He added that the annual Transport Lecture which had held in Lagos and Abuja in the past, remains a platform for relevant stakeholders in the transport and logistics value chain to discuss and exchange ideas on key contemporary topics as they unfold.
Some lead paper presenters in past editions included MD, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), 1st Edition, 2013; DG, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), 5th Edition, 2018; Former Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Anthonia Ekpa, 9th Edition, 2022, and Corps Marshal of the FRSC, 10th edition, 2024.

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NAJA announces date for 2nd Nigeria Auto Industry Summit

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1 day ago

June 16, 2025

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NAJA announces date for 2nd Nigeria Auto Industry Summit

…to focus on Nigeria first, local content development

The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) has announced that the second edition of the Nigeria Auto Industry Summit (NAISU) will hold on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Conference Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

This year’s summit, themed “Nigeria First: Local Content as Catalyst for Automotive Economy”, will bring together key stakeholders in government, manufacturing, trade, among others to chart a forward-thinking path for the nation’s automotive industry.

Organised in partnership with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), the Nigeria Association of Automotive Manufacturers (NAMA), and the African Association of Automobile Manufacturers (AAAM), the summit aims to deepen the national conversation around local content integration and the long-term viability of Nigeria’s automotive sector.

It will also dwell on the Federal Government recently launched Nigeria’s First initiative and the buying of the locally assembled automobiles.

The event will be declared open by the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, while Joseph Oluwemimo Osanipin, Director-General of the NADDC, will be the Chief Host.

Commenting on the importance of the summit, Mike Ochonma, Chairman of the NAISU Planning Committee, said: “This year’s summit focuses on how local content can drive sustainable industrialization in Nigeria’s auto sector.

“We are bringing the right voices together—from regulators and customs officials to local manufacturers and traders—so that policies and actions can align.

“Local content is more than policy; it’s the foundation for job creation, skill transfer, and industrial sovereignty. NAISU 2025 will help unify efforts and challenges to go beyond imported solutions.”

Some of those expected to make presentations at the summit are Chief Anselm Ilekuba, Chairman, Association of Local Content Manufacturers (ALCMAN); Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); Hon. Ngozi Emechebe, President, Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA).

Theodore Opara, Chairman of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), the umbrella body for journalists covering the automotive sector in Nigeria, said, “As auto journalists, we understand the power of information in shaping national policy. NAISU is our contribution to a better-informed, locally driven auto economy.”

“The future of Nigeria’s auto sector lies in how we leverage our local resources, manpower, and innovation. NAISU offers a platform for strategic collaboration that reflects NAJA’s own mandate to build a resilient automotive ecosystem.”

The 2025 NAISU will feature keynote addresses, panel sessions, and networking engagements centred on how Nigeria can reduce dependency on imported components and increase domestic production capacity.

Issues slated for discussion include: Custom tariff frameworks and local assembly incentives; Supply chain localization and small-scale manufacturing; Technology transfer and skilled workforce development and Regulatory compliance and standard enforcement.

The Nigeria Auto Industry Summit is fast becoming the premier annual forum for strategic discourse on the automotive future of Africa’s largest economy.

For participation, partnership, or media inquiries, stakeholders are encouraged to contact the NAJA Secretariat or visit the association’s official communication channels.

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NEW ERA to commission Nigeria’s first Jetour-branded showroom Wednesday

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1 day ago

June 16, 2025

Trends Admin

NEW ERA to commission Nigeria’s first Jetour-branded showroom Wednesday

NEW ERA Autovehicle Services Limited, a new player in Nigeria’s automotive industry, is set to officially commission its state-of-the-art dealership outfit in the prestigious Lekki area of Lagos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

This landmark event marks a significant milestone as the Lekki showroom becomes the first Jetour-branded dealership in Nigeria, just two years after the Jetour brand made its entry into the Nigerian automotive market. The new showroom will serve as a flagship hub for the Jetour brand, reflecting its cutting-edge design, premium experience, and customer-centric approach.

The commissioning ceremony will bring together prominent auto industry personalities, top government officials, and captains of industry from across the country, highlighting the importance of this development to Nigeria’s growing automotive ecosystem.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Kemi Koyejo, Chief Executive Officer of NEW ERA Autovehicle Services Limited, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “We are proud to unveil this pioneering Jetour-branded showroom in Lekki.

“It reflects our commitment to innovation, excellence, and meeting the evolving needs of Nigerian motorists with global-standard services and vehicles.”

The Lekki facility will not only showcase the latest models from Jetour’s lineup but will also provide world-class aftersales support, technical servicing, and a unique brand experience tailored to the Nigerian market.

The opening signals NEW ERA’s strategic vision to establish itself as a key stakeholder in the transformation of the Nigerian auto sector and a driving force in the promotion of globally recognized brands like Jetour.