National Automotive Design & Development Council: Giving impetus to the dream of fully made-in-Nigeria vehicle

Within the last three years, the National Automotive Design & Development Council has championed initiatives focused on automotive industrialisation, clean mobility adoption, skills development, local content promotion and stakeholder engagement, making it one of the Federal Government’s most impactful agencies.

A key aspect of the agency’s giant strides is the implementation of the automotive components of President Bola Tinubu’s clean energy policy, alongside sustained efforts to advance the review and enactment of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP).

Under the leadership of Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, the NADDC has established Automotive Training and CNG Conversion Centres in strategic locations, including Kano, Lagos, Yobe, Zamfara and Niger states, to build technical capacity, promote alternative fuel adoption and create jobs. The council also developed training manuals for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicle (EV) operations and accredited over 335 CNG conversion workshops to ensure safety and standardisation nationwide.

In December 2024, the agency signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with CrediCorp to establish a ₦20 billion Consumer Credit Fund, which was designed to improve access to finance for the purchase of locally assembled vehicles. The initiative achieved a major milestone in February 2025 when the first beneficiaries took delivery of locally assembled tricycles and motorcycles.

The NADDC has also strengthened industry regulation through the Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme (VehCAP), launched in partnership with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria in March 2025. Other notable initiatives include the End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Regulation and the National Vehicle Dealership Registration Framework, both aimed at enhancing standards, sustainability, and consumer protection.

Recognising the importance of youth participation in the sector, NADDC launched the CNG Hybrid Vehicle Design Challenge in 2024 and subsequently the 8-Seater Electric Shuttle Bus Design Competition, involving universities from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. These programmes have encouraged innovation, research, and indigenous automotive technology development.

In human capital development, the agency has trained more than 10,000 artisans and technicians in critical automotive disciplines, including mecha-tronics, CNG conversion technology, heavy-duty vehicle maintenance, auto diagnostics, vehicle servicing and repairs, thereby contributing to the growth of a skilled automotive workforce.

To deepen local manufacturing, the council launched the Import Deletion Programme for Local Automotive Components and Parts, which was aimed at reducing dependence on imports, increasing local content utilisation and strengthening Nigeria’s automotive supply chain. It also expanded collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement to support implementation of the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy and encouraged patronage of locally manufactured vehicles.

It is for these landmark initiatives and policies that the National Automotive Design & Development Council is winner of The Sun Parastatal of the Year Award 2026.