From Isaac Job, Uyo
The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) says it has begun policy formulations to encourage patronage of locally produced cars to drive implementation of the first policy signed by President Bola Tinubu to enable Nigerians to patronise made-in-Nigeria automobile products.
The council therefore engaged stakeholders in the industry to prepare their minds on policies that will regulate the automobile sector through registration of dealers, ensuring safety and environmentally friendly vehicles to be distributed in the country.
Speaking in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, during a one-day stakeholders’ engagement on the planned regulations, the Director General of NADDC, Mr Oluwemimo Osanipin, said that the Council was committed to ensuring sanity in the automobile industry by safeguarding public safety and protecting the environment.
He said henceforth all those involved in vehicle importation, distribution, and marketing must be registered and regulated to avoid flooding Nigerian markets with dangerous vehicles.
“This regulation is not merely a formality; it is crucial for several fundamental reasons.
“It ensures the safety and environmental soundness of vehicles circulating within our market, actively combats the illicit trade of smuggled, accident-damaged, flooded, and aged vehicles.
“And crucially, addresses the detrimental impact that unregulated used vehicles can have on human lives, our national economy, and the environment.
“By effectively regulating motor dealers, we are committed to safeguarding public safety, protecting our environment, and nurturing a sustainable and responsible automotive market for all,” he said.
Osanipin urged stakeholders to work together to sanitise the industry and achieve the goals and objectives of the Federal Government in the sector.
The DG said registration of motor dealers in the country was a necessary step, as it would create the foundational enabling environment for the automotive sector to not only survive but to truly thrive and innovate.
He explained that the National Automotive Design and Development Council remains steadfast in its commitment to steering the transformative journey, adding that the goal was to drive sustainable growth and comprehensive development within Nigeria’s automotive sector.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA), Mr Bawo Omagbitse, said that registration and regulation would be beneficial to all the critical stakeholders.
He said that regulation was a critical aspect for dealers and manufacturers in the automotive industry.
He observed that it imposed responsibility on the stakeholders, noting that manufacturers must ensure that the public accepts their products.
“For us to grow, dealership must be regulated. Once the public begins to have trust, we will go to places,” he said.
In his keynote address, the President of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, said that regulation of imported vehicles into the country was quite necessary for security reasons.
Adedoyin said that manufacturers must work with AMDON to encourage local production of automotive vehicles.
He noted that regulation would ensure that all vehicles imported into the country could be traced to a dealer.
He expressed displeasure that non-regulation has made it possible for anybody to import vehicles into the country, which may pose a security threat.
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