The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin, has proposed a ban on the importation of used cars from the years 2000 to 2007 into Nigeria. This recommendation was made during a Public Sector Engagement on the Implementation of the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP 2023-2033) held in Abuja.
Osanipin highlighted the need to collaborate with relevant agencies to establish a maximum age limit of 20 years for imported used vehicles. The initiative aims to boost local assembly and manufacturing of vehicles while preventing Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for older automobiles.
During the engagement, Osanipin stated, “We need to talk to our colleagues, especially in customs, to start putting age limits on used cars. We cannot allow Nigeria to be a dumping ground for used vehicles.” He emphasized that the importation of used vehicles from the years 2000 to 2007 is unacceptable, and measures will be taken in collaboration with authorities to address this.
The director-general also raised concerns about certain vehicles entering Nigeria without airbags, and he stressed the importance of specifying minimum standards for vehicles allowed into the country.
Osanipin outlined plans for a “deletion policy” as part of the NAIDP review, focusing on growing local content by producing components locally. He mentioned the production of tires, plastic, foams, leather, and batteries as areas of focus, stating, “The sooner we identify these and component manufacturers that can do this according to our standard, the better for us.”
The move towards local production of components is seen as a strategy to reduce imports and boost the local automotive industry. The NADDC aims to address challenges such as low production levels, inadequate local content, and limited financial resources to facilitate the growth of the sector.
Despite progress in the Nigerian automotive industry, the country still faces challenges, with an annual vehicle demand of 720,000 units and local factories producing only 14,000 units yearly. The ban on certain imported used cars aligns with efforts to encourage local manufacturing and enhance the sustainability of the automotive sector.
