The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has called on the government at all levels to support the automotive industry by patronizing made-in-Nigeria vehicles.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondence Association of Nigeria (CICAN), the Director-General of NADDC, Joseph Osanipin, urged the government to encourage manufacturing vehicles, components, and parts in the country.
He reaffirmed that the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) guides the sector. However, it is still a plan until implemented. We need investors who will have confidence in the policy, and with the support of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly, the plan will be enacted.
“We will continue to push for it so that by the time we have it not just as a plan but as an act of Parliament, foreign investors will have confidence in investing in the sector. The NAIDP is a pillar we want to implement. These include boosting the market through expansion, patronage of made-in-Nigeria vehicles, which cannot be achieved without collective support.
“We know this is a process, and we do not expect our local manufacturers or assemblers to start, but with the support of everyone, including the media, we can make it faster. If we want them to get there without that support, it will take a longer time.
“I was at Innoson plant, and it beats my imagination what they are doing there, the kind of investment that is going on there, as well as what will come out of there. A lot of Nigerians do not know the kind of technology that is there.
“The CNG is a new technology for most of us because if you take a look at Nigerian roads, more than 99 percent of vehicles are still fuel or gas-powered. This means if you have one percent using CNG, it will be insignificant. But we are moving away from PMS-powered vehicles, and this calls for serious preparation. We are preparing ourselves in terms of the standard and quality required, training, monitoring,” he stated.
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