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By Moses Akaigwe
Arrangements are on top gear for this year’s annual symposium being organised by Auto & Allied Sub-Sectoral Group of Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI).
The event with the theme: From Tokunbo to Manufacturing, The Role of Women Breaking Barriers And Driving Growth, will hold on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 inside the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on this year’s symposium, Kunle Jaiyesimi, Chairman, Auto & Allied Subsectoral Group of the LCCI, explained that the symposium would explore this crucial transition as well as highlight the unique contributions women are making to break barriers and drive growth.
Throwing more light on the event, Austin Akpovili, Chairman, Local Organising Committee, disclosed that the objectives of the annual forum are to discuss strategies for shifting Nigeria’s reliance on tokunbo (used) vehicles to promoting local manufacturing; to bring attention to the pivotal roles women play in the automotive industry, both locally and globally; and to identify opportunities for growth within Nigeria’s automobile industry, particularly through innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity.
Other important objectives of the one-day gathering that will attract critical stakeholders, are to highlight case studies of women breaking barriers in traditionally male-dominated sectors, as well as to provide the platform for business networking and relationship-building among members of the Lagos Chamber and external stakeholders in the industry.
Topic for exhaustive discussion by panelists and guests are pre-sales: FX duties, and regulation and the impact of foreign exchange, duties, and regulations on local manufacturing in the automotive sector.
With technology now key to automotive manufacture, other areas for deliberation would include CNG, AI, electric cars, security, and navigation with a look at innovations, such as compressed natural gas (CNG), artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles, and advancements in security and navigation.
Other crucial areas, such as post-sales: after-sales, licensing, insurance, and recall of cars, are expected to be covered too.
Also to be discussed by participants are the importance of after-sales services, vehicle licensing, insurance, and recall procedures for defective vehicles.
Other areas, like financing models, including loans, leasing, and financial institutions’ support for automobile sales, would also be in focus..
Among the automotive industry players expected to provide perspectives at the landmark event being organised by the LCCI in collaboration with the Women Group and the LPG & Downstream Natural Gas Group, are Mr. Joseph Osanipin, Director-General of the National Automotive Design & Development Council (NADDC); Chief
Diana Chen, Chairman/CEO, CIG Motors; Ikpe Etop, President/CEO, AutoCheck Africa; and Joy Obi Amuche, a female mechanic, among others.
The theme, From Tokunbo to Manufacturing: The Role of Women Breaking Barriers and Driving Growth, aims to ignite conversations around CNG, auto innovations and local manufacturing in Nigeria’s automobile industry with a focus on the groundbreaking contributions of women.
For decades, the African automobile industry has been dominated by tokunbo.
However, organisers of the symposium are confident that a shift is underway towards local manufacturing, innovation, and development.
This transformation has been significantly influenced by the growing involvement of women across various sectors of the industry.
