The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) has hosted a policy session in Lagos, where experts and stakeholders gathered to deliberate on local content as a driver of Nigeria’s automotive transformation.

Delivering a keynote titled ‘Nigeria First: Local Content as Catalyst for Automotive Economy’, automotive communication consultant and professor of Mass Communication at Delta State University, Oscar Odiboh, made a compelling case for a radical shift in Nigeria’s approach to auto manufacturing.

Odiboh called for a sweeping local content agenda anchored on the Nigerian Content Plan (NCP), urging Nigerian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to demonstrate commitment to sourcing a substantial percentage of their raw materials, services and workforce locally.

He emphasised that this would not only stimulate the domestic economy but also foster technological innovation, value chain integration and sustainable job creation.

“Nigerian OEMs must begin to prioritise local value chain contributors over imports. We must dismantle unfair external advantages and promote healthy local competition and co-creation,” he stated.

He proposed a gradual phase-out of completely knocked down (CKD) and semi-knocked down (SKD) imports to deepen backward integration and industrial capacity.

In line with the call for deeper localisation, Odiboh tasked key institutions with specific mandates.
He urged the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to ensure originality in the design and engineering of made-in-Nigeria vehicles.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), he said, should enforce local content and quality compliance standards.