We have capacity to make Nigeria Africa’s automotive hub – LSM MD Shittu

We have capacity to make Nigeria Africa’s automotive hub – LSM MD Shittu

Nigeria’s quest to become Africa’s automotive manufacturing hub is gathering momentum with Lanre Shittu Motors (LSM) emerging as one of the central forces driving the transformation.

The company’s Managing Director, Mr. Taiwo Shittu, says the LSM has the capacity to make the country Africa’s powerhouse in the automotive industry.

He stated this during a recent visit by Mr. Oscar Yu, General Manager of China’s leading automaker, JAC Motors, to the company’s state-of-the-art assembly plant in Lagos.

“With over 200 million people, a young and dynamic workforce, and our unique position as West Africa’s gateway, Nigeria has every ingredient needed to become a global automotive hub,” said Shittu.

“With committed partners like JAC and the right policy framework, Lagos can evolve into Africa’s Detroit — a true manufacturing powerhouse.”

The high-level meeting reaffirmed a decade-long partnership between LSM and JAC, signaling a new era of industrial integration, value addition, and regional expansion.

Both companies are now pushing forward a shared agenda — to move Nigeria from an assembler of imported kits to a producer of fully built, locally made vehicles.

Yu praised LSM’s technical capacity and drew parallels between Nigeria’s current industrial trajectory and China’s own journey decades ago.

“China once depended heavily on used imports too,” Yu noted. “But with bold policies and sustained investment in local production, we built one of the world’s strongest auto industries. Nigeria has that same potential — if it seizes the moment.”

Both executives called for urgent measures to stem the influx of unregulated used vehicles, which they warned undermines local capacity and jobs.

“This isn’t about protectionism,” Shittu clarified. “It’s about creating fair competition and a level playing field for manufacturers investing in Nigeria’s future.”

As part of its five-year road map, LSM plans to expand production lines, upskill its workforce, and grow its footprint across West Africa, leveraging JAC’s technology transfer, training, and financing support.

But Shittu insists that government policy will determine how fast the dream becomes reality.

“The private sector is ready. Our partners are ready. What remains is the government’s readiness — through consistent policy, infrastructure, and incentives to unleash this industry’s full potential.”

From a market once dominated by used imports, Nigeria now stands on the threshold of an automotive rebirth — one that could redefine Africa’s industrial future and cement the nation’s place on the global manufacturing map.