The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin said the federal government would invest in made-in-Nigeria vehicles to reduce dependence on vehicle importation.
In the same breath, Osanipin expressed government’s commitment to transmit from Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) to Complete Knocked Down (CKD).
The NADDC boss stated this during an inspection tour of Lanre Shittu Motors Assembly Plant in Lagos where he emphasised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to patronise vehicles manufactured or assembled in Nigeria.
Speaking on the country’s transmission from SKD to CKD: “The first support is patronage, and that is what we have seen. And it is not only the government but all Nigerians. The first support we are asking is from all Nigerians. Let’s replicate what we have done in the truck business.
“Most of the new trucks you see on the road today are assembled in Nigeria; and Nigerians have embraced that. Can we now start taking it further by doing so with buses?
“Yes, it will be easier with buses. People who are investing in buses are not doing so for luxury; they are investing in it to make more money.
“They will be cautious of downtime. If it can go down with a truck, let Nigerians embrace buses. And the government is going to patronise made-in-Nigeria vehicles. The president had said that for any ministry or agency to make any submission for vehicle acquisition, it had to be those manufactured or assembled here in Nigeria; in fact, it has to be compressed natural gas (CNG). This is how governments support; and that is what the government is doing currently.
“Part of what we are doing is what we are here for: to lend our support for those in the automobile sector.”
