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By Moses Akaigwe
The effort to make Nigeria a global hub for vehicle manufacturing is gathering more momentum as Lanre Shittu Motors (LSM) collaborates with its foreign partners to make investments expected to have a huge impact on the country’s auto industry.
Mr. Taiwo Shittu, managing director of LSM, announced this bold vision amid a significant visit from Mr. Oscar Yu, general manager of Chinese automotive giant, JAC Motors, to LSM’s flagship assembly plant in Lagos.
“With Nigeria’s vast population of over 200 million, a youthful workforce and strategic geographic location, we have all the ingredients to become a global automotive hub,” Shittu said.
“Couple that with the unwavering commitment from our partners at JAC and the right government policies, we can transform Lagos into a world-class manufacturing ecosystem.”
The visit marked a reinvigoration of a decade-long partnership between LSM and JAC, signalling a decisive shift towards deeper industrial integration, increased local value addition, and regional expansion ambitions.
Mr. Yu, impressed by LSM’s assembly capabilities, highlighted how Nigeria’s demographic and economic potential mirrors China’s earlier industrialization challenges—and opportunities.
“China’s journey was not unlike Nigeria’s: initially reliant on used imports, we invested in local production and banned second-hand imports to build capacity. Today, China is a global leader in automotive manufacturing. Nigeria can follow this path with a unified strategy,” Yu said.
Both executives emphasized the urgent need to curb the flood of unregulated used vehicle imports, which they identified as a major impediment to sustainable growth in Nigeria’s auto sector.
“We are not asking for protectionism, but for fair competition that nurtures Nigerian manufacturing,” said Shittu. “Industrialization anywhere in the world has required protecting the productive base until it achieves scale.”
LSM, positioned as a gateway to the West African market, plans an aggressive scale-up in production, workforce development, and expansion across the region in the next five years, backed by JAC’s technical support, training programs, and financing commitments.However, Shittu underscored the vital role of government: “The private sector and our international partners are ready. Now Nigeria must be ready with the right infrastructure, regulations, and incentives to unlock this industry’s transformative potential.”
As Nigeria endeavours to move from being a buyer of vehicles to becoming a builder, LSM’s ambitions offer a compelling glimpse into the country’s potential to redefine Africa’s automotive landscape—and place Nigeria firmly on the global automotive map.
