FG moves to ensure quality as Nigeria buys 500,000 cars yearly

• Trains 14,000 technicians to boost production

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From Okwe Obi, Abuja

The federal government has assured Nigerians of quality automobile supply and local assembly.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, stated this at the 26th Abuja International Motor Fair, held in partnership with BKG Exhibition Limited.

Oduwole stated that the government was committed to the Nigeria First initiative, which is to ensure that quality products and services are entrenched in the system.

“This sector is a priority to the Tinubu administration. We will continue to support this sector.

“We will [want] investors to connect to the African market and the value chains that exist on the continent so that Nigeria can take a prominent role,” she said.

Also, the Director General of the Nigeria Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, disclosed that citizens buy about 450,000 to 500,000 cars annually.

Osanipin noted that the number falls below market demand, adding that the country has between 450,000 and 500,000 installed capacity for automobiles.

He said: “And today also, Nigeria also buys between 350,000 to 450,000 vehicles annually. So, the percentage of what we buy, when you look at it, is always within the same range of our installed capacity. What that means is that we can produce it when we put some necessary things.

“And that is where our friend here comes in. One of the things we need to put in place, apart from the law, that the honorary minister is so much interested in, is the finance. We discussed also about the consumer credit scheme.

“This initiative is also linked to what we are doing here today. The first question that people ask me whenever we talk about Nigerian affairs policy is, do we have the capability?

“Do we have the capability to produce what Nigeria will need? And I always say, as of today, we are between 450,000 and 500,000 installed capacity for automobile in Nigeria. Even though what we are producing is insignificant compared to the installed capacity.”

To meet the demand, he said the government had trained about 14,000 auto technicians who work directly on vehicle assembly in Nigeria.

The Director General said: “As of today, we have trained about 14,000 auto technicians directly that work on the vehicle assembly in Nigeria.

“So, we do this in order to be able to provide after-sales services across the country. As I said, we will go on tour. I need to also thank you again for honouring our invitation even when it is totally inconvenient for you to do that.”