NADDC DG, AAAM CEO tour IVM, Afro Asia in Nnewi, to boost local content development

By Moses Akaigwe

As the implementation of the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan, NAIDP, begins to gather momentum, the National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, has been taking steps to ensure that the objective of using the policy document to develop the industryn is achieved.

The most recent initiative in this direction was the tour of some automotive local content manufacturers in parts of the country by the Director-General of the NADDC, Mr. Joseph Osanipin, who was accompanied by the Council”s partners from the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM).

On the second and third days of the tour which covered the eastern part of the country, the NADDC DG and AAAM officials visited Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd (IVM) and Afro Asia Nigeria Ltd at Nnewi, Anambra State, as well as some firms in Enugu.

Osanipin applauded both Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing and Afro Asia Nigeria for their innovation and expressed a strong interest in replicating their models to boost local manufacturing capabilities across Nigeria.

He highlighted the success of Innoson, which manufactures complete CNG buses from scratch, using locally sourced materials like glass, iron, and plastic.

He expressed interest in replicating this model in other manufacturing entities and partnering with Innoson to grow the industry.

The Director General also emphasised the importance of setting standards and conducting peer reviews with other economies.

He commended Innoson for prioritising use of local content and urged the company to improve on its already high local content level in view of the necessary capacity, expertise, and materials available,

Osanipin seized the opportunity to assure Nigerians that the vehicles produced by IVM meet global standards.

In his remarks, Dave Coffey, CEO of AAAM, stated that the visit to Nigeria was part of the association’s mission to help to industrialise and grow the automotive sector in Africa.

Coffey listed some of the steps AAAM takes to achieve its mission as: Working with African governments to develop and refine policies; Collaborating with the public and private sectors; Promoting affordable mobility with safe, low-emission vehicles; and Developing local auto components and its value chain, including finance sector partnerships

He observed that Nigeria has manufacturing capability in automotive parts and identified lack of demand as a key challenge.

Coffey reiterated his previous statement that the government needs to pass the Automotive Policy into Law, He also emphasized the need for increased investment in the automotive sector.

He was impressed with the capability he witnessed and suggested partnering with local businesses to localise production, bring in technology, and develop capability

Welcoming the guests, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, CON, CEO of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, argued that Nigeria has no need to importing CNG buses as IVM has the capability satisfy the market, having pioneered the production more than three years ago.

The Innoson boss commended the zero duty placed on to CNG equipment and componets by the Federal Government, urging all Nigerians to embrace CNG as a cheaper and environment-friendly fuel.

“The Federal Government should issue directives to promote the adoption of CNG, as it is crucial for saving our economy from the burden of expensive petrpl. I urge everyone to support the transition to CNG, as it will benefit both individuals and the nation as a whole. A prosperous Nigeria benefits everyone,” Chief Chukwuma stated.

The tour proceeded to Afro Asia Nigeria Limited, where CEO, Dr. Chika Okafor, presented an overview of the company’s manufacturing processes, ranging from plastic recycling to production of many items..

In the presentation, Dr. Okafor highlighted various challenges confronting the industry, with policy inconsistency being a significant obstacle.

He appealed for the NAIDP to be backed by legislation for auto policy in order to unlock the industry’s full potential and facilitate its growth.

Overall, the visit underscored the need to promote Nigeria’s automotive industry, enhance local auto component manufacturing, and embrace affordable, sustainable sources to drive economic growth and development.

The visitors later proceeded to Enugu where they toured Innoson Technical and Industrial Company, a leading plastics and automotive accessories manufacturer in Emene; another nearby Innoson subsidiary, General Tyres and Tubes; and ANAMMCO auto plant, also in Emene.

 

 

 

 

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