The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin, has reaffirmed that the proposed Import Deletion Programme is central to efforts to boost local automotive production.

Osanipin said this during a stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting held in Lagos on the implementation of the Import Deletion Programme, which targets motorcycle and tricycle parts.

He explained that the council was mandated to periodically review parts and components used in the manufacturing of motorcycles, tricycles, bicycles and motor vehicles for possible removal.

The council, he said, is to recommend specific items for deletion where local production capacity exists or could be developed.

According to him, the move is designed to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities, encourage technology transfer and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported automotive components.

“The council is empowered to assess the industry and recommend components for deletion in line with available or potential local capacity. This mandate remains at the heart of our drive to deepen local content in the automotive sector,” he said.

Osanipin noted that the automotive industry had reached a critical stage where decisive policy actions are required to consolidate existing gains and create new opportunities for domestic manufacturers.

He linked the Import Deletion Programme to the broader objectives of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP), which he said clearly recognised the importance of developing local components to grow the industry sustainably.

“This policy shift is driven by the need to increase local content development, deepen industrialisation and strengthen the automotive value chain,” he added.

Stakeholders at the meeting acknowledged that effective implementation of the programme would depend on collaboration between government, manufacturers and component suppliers as well as the creation of an enabling environment that makes local production competitive.

Executive Director of the Motorcycle Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Lambert Ekewuba, expressed that the mission was to prioritise local content development, promote value addition and eliminate avoidable imports within Nigeria’s automotive sector.

Ekewuba emphasised that reducing dependency on imported components was essential to building a resilient and competitive domestic industry.

Chairman of the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA), Bawo Omagbitse, advised that for the policy to be sensible and justified, stakeholders must create conditions that make local production more viable and competitive than importing parts.

He stressed the need to address production challenges and create an enabling environment that supports manufacturers.

Also, the representative of the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Oluchi
Odimuko, stated that the engagement comes at a defining moment for Nigerian manufacturers within the automotive value chain.