The Africa Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), on Tuesday, 20th August, 2024, made a passionate appeal for proper legislation of the 2023-Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP), which according to them would enhance rapid development of the Industry.
A delegation from AAAM spoke on Tuesday as part of an ongoing facility tour of component manufacturers in Nigeria.
The advocacy was necessitated by the state of the art facilities that encompasses high level of investments and operational standard witnessed during the facility tour of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Company and Afro Asia Nigeria Ltd.
Speaking during the tour, David Coffey, the Chief Executive Officer of AAAM emphasized the associations mission to industrialize and expand Africa’s automotive sector through policy development, collaborative efforts and promoting affordable mobility.
Coffey expressed concern over Africa’s role as a dumping ground for used vehicles and called for significant changes to address the issue.
He however acknowledged Nigeria’s potential in manufacturing but noted that lack of demand remains a significant obstacle.
The leader of the delegation and the Director General, NADDC, Mr. Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin had earlier in his remarks appluaded IVM for their innovative approach and expressed a strong interest in replicating Innoson s model to boost local manufacturing capabilities across Nigeria.
At Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, the spotlight was on their impressive achievement in producing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from scratch using entirely local materials. Mr. Osanipin praised this innovative approach and expressed a strong interest in replicating Innoson’s model to boost local manufacturing capabilities across Nigeria.
Innoson’s CEO, Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, advocated for the adoption of CNG as a more cost-effective alternative to traditional fuels.
He urged the Nigerian government to support this transition to mitigate the economic burden of high Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) costs.
The tour continued with a visit to Afro Asia Nigeria Limited, where the CEO, Chief (Dr.) A.C Okafor (OON) showcased various manufacturing processes, from recycling plastics to producing finished products.
The CEO highlighted several challenges faced by the industry, with Policy inconsistency cited as a major impediment.
He stressed the need for effective measures to curb corruption to enable the industry to achieve its full potential.
