By Moses Ebosele, ebosele@hotmail.com —
Inability to secure presidential assent for Nigeria’s automotive policy is a direct threat to over N2.5trillion private sector investments, an automotive communication consultant, Dr Oscar Odiboh has said.
Speaking at the 2019 training workshop of Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) in Lagos, Odiboh observed that resources so far deployed in the sector may go down the drain due to alleged refusal of the Federal Government to endorse the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP).
He also used the opportunity to advise the Federal Government to drop the policy, adding that the
alleged inability of the government to assent to the bill has proven anti-policy agitators right and also put a question mark on the consistency of “our patriotism”.
Speaking further on the topic: “Zero Patronage, Zero Tariff and the Redefinition of Patriotism by Nigeria’s Automobile Industry,” Odiboh said the sector is strategic to economic growth and development.
The Federal Government had in October 2013, announced the concept of NAIDP as part of measures to stimulate investment in local vehicle production.
Pointing out that those who have started should be encouraged, Odiboh said government cannot force assembly plants into reality.
The automotive consultant who is also a lecturer at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State said “Even stakeholders are not comfortable with the policy and there have been too much ado in doing nothing. Nothing is working”
He also advised the Federal Government to allow auto assembly plants to evolve: “Let the industry move on. Revolution is not by force. It starts with evolution. We must evolve to revolve. Let our auto industry evolve, then, it can revolve”.
According to Odiboh, the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) should restrict itself to design, development of infrastructure and campaigns on patriotic patronage of Made-In-Nigeria vehicles.
Advising the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the University Don said: “Customs should increase tariff on used imported vehicles from 30% to 80%. Reduce tariff on brand new imported vehicles from 70% to 30%. Introduce zero percent tariff on locally CKD assembled vehicles”.
