Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Jelani Aliyu has said the auto policy is working.
Aliyu, who was a guest of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) during the network news on Saturday said: It is very important to set some facts straight. The industry has come a long way. It is succeeding and will continue to succeed.”
He explained that since the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) came into effect in 2014, about $1.5 billion worth of investments have been made by original equipment Manufacturers [OEMs] in the auto sector in the country
According to him, the local auto industry has the combined capacity to produce no less than 400, 000 vehicles a year, including passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and heavy-duty trucks.
He cited Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, Nnewi; Dangote Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Ltd [DPAN], Kaduna [Peugeot]; PAN Nigeria, Kaduna {Higer and Chery}; and many others in various parts of the country, as auto makers representing the success story of the NAIDP.
He explained that there are new global trends in components supply, assembly and distribution, adding that the council is driving towards keying into this new order to further develop Nigeria’s auto industry.
He, however, commended some automakers, including Innoson Vehicle and Dangote Peugeot Automobile, who have on their own made efforts to integrate local content into their production system. He said, ‘You need to go to Innoson to see where vehicle components are being fabricated.’
On how far Nigeria has gone in developing electric vehicle technology, Aliyu disclosed that his council is working on Nigeria Electric Development Plan to guide and catalyse activities in the area.
He listed Stallion Motors {Hyundai Kona Electric], Jet Motors and many others, as some Nigerian companies that have made investments in EVs, and have been producing the vehicles for use locally.
Aliyu disclosed that NADDC has built and commissioned EV charging stations at both Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, and the University of Lagos, stating that the one currently under construction in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, would soon be commissioned too.
He assured that the council was working hard to make vehicle finance available to the average buyers, even as he called on Nigerians to patrionise vehicles made in Nigeria in order to encourage growth and development in the domestic auto industry.
