By Moses Akaigwe
The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) has released the list of nominees for its 2023 Nigeria Auto Awards.
The grand award event is scheduled for December 14 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The list features over 30 models of automobiles which cut across several segments of the auto industry, as well as auto showrooms and vehicle assembly plants in the country.
Suzuki Espresso, Honda HR-V and Changan Eado made it to the top of the list as the cars will battle for the coveted Car-of-the-Year, while Dangote Sinotruk, Shacman and JAC will go head-to-head in the Truck-of-the-Year category.
For the Assembly Plant-of-the-Year, Lanre-Shittu Motors, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing and Mikano Motors are on the card, while Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Range Rover will slug it out in the Luxury-Brand-of-the –Year category.
Stallion (Hyundai), Mandilas Motors and CFAO have been nominated for the Auto Workshop category.
In the Compact SUV category, Changan CS35, GAC GS4 and new entrant, Honda HR-V have been shortlisted. And in the Large SUV bracket, Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser and Hyundai Palisade are the contenders.
Range Rover (Autobiography), BMW X7 and Mercedes G Wagon will battle for the Luxury SUV category. Maxus, Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200 and JAC T6 will compete in the Pickup class, while one of GAC GS8, Changan Uni-K and JAC JS4 will emerge the winner of the best design award..
In the minibus category, Toyota Hiace, Jet Mover, Foton View C2 and Nord Flit are the nominees, while Stallion Motors, ANAMMCO and Briscoe will vie for the Most Resilient Auto Company award.
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, Nnewi; Lanre Shittu Motors, Lagos; and Nord, Lagos have been nominated for the Assembly of the Year prize.
Coscharis (Ford), Mikano and GAC are set to battle for the Auto Showroom of the Year award; just as Libra, Okeyson and GUO will compete in the Transport Company of the Year, while Bajaj and TVS are the two nominees in the Three-Wheeler of the Year category.
Chairman of the Awards committee, Rasheed Bisiriyu, said that Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, would be honoured with the Auto Personality of the Year for his immense contributions to the development of Nigeria’s auto industry.
He said nominees in the various categories were decided by an esteemed panel composed of experts in the industry, dealers and motoring editors.
“In producing these results, our panel demonstrated fierce dedication to their craft by selecting nominees worthy of their consideration in 2023,” he stated.
He said the anticipation for the annual auto awards is stronger than ever among consumers and the automotive sector.
He said, “The winners in the various categories will be revealed live at the grand event scheduled for December 14, 2023 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos in a grand ceremony.”
The Nigerian Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) is an association of professional journalists, writers, and corporate members whose focus is the automobile and the Nigerian automotive industry.
NAJA’s primary objective is to promote, encourage, support, and facilitate professionalism in Nigerian automotive journalism and to ensure factual and ethical reporting about the automobile and automotive issues to Nigerian consumers.