Felicia Udeji, Reporting
Abuja, Nigeria
Plans are underway to position Nigeria as a major player in the vehicle manufacturing industry, according to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite.
The minister stated this on Friday while launching the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan at a gathering that was attended by stakeholders drawn from the private and public sectors.
According to Uzoka-Anite, the automotive industry development plan was drawn to position Nigeria as a fully-fledged vehicle manufacturer within the next 10 years.
She said, “Nigeria has the capacity to produce its own vehicles. We have the raw materials; we have the skills; we have a market, and now we have a plan that can help us produce our vehicles. These vehicles include motorcycles, tricycles, sedans, heavy-duty trucks.
“With this plan, we should see Nigeria fully producing its own vehicles within 10 years. Our goal is to reduce the cost of purchasing a vehicle for the average Nigerian.”
On his part, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Joseph Osanipin stated that the policy proposed to help actualise the plan was a five-year tax holiday for assemblers of vehicles in Nigeria.
He said, “Through such fiscal initiatives, there is a deliberate focus on backward integration and component production.”
Members of the Automotive Industry Development Plan implementation committee are drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Transport, and Environment as well as Industry, Trade and Investment.
It also comprises the Nigeria Customs Service, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
He further stated that the government’s non-patronage of the local industry is one of reasons it’s been in decay for years.
Currently, Nigeria produces less than 10 percent of the vehicles used in the country.