Auto policy: Ignore critics, NAMA tells govt

Nigeria’s Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) under the aegis of Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA) has advised the Federal Government not to succumb to detractors in its efforts to resuscitate domestic production of automobile in the country.

Chairman of NAMA, Tokunbo Aromolaran, while appraising President Mohammadu Buhari led-government’s contributions to the sector one-year after the President came to office, said government must urgently demonstrate its conviction that support of the auto policy is good for the country by reassuring investors that government wouldn’t dump the policy.

He said: “We are forced to believe that government is being distracted by naysayers and interested parties who wish to slowdown the progress in the sector. And these are people who have benefited from trading and are now feeding government with negative reports and holding back the pace of development of the industry.”

Aromolaran said urged to work-out incentives and strategy to accelerate the successful take-off of the companies.

Such incentives, according to him must take into account the peculiar challenges investors face in the course of operation, including inadequate infrastructure.
“A viable manufacturing industry is capable of creating huge multiplier effects for the Nigerian economy and society,” he stressed.

The NAMA chairman said the Buhari led administration should ensure its take the credit for giving necessary support by introducing attractive incentives to woo major OEMs.

“This is the way to reawaken our productive capacity and create a future for the children of the poor and downtrodden.

“I believe government is figuring out how to assume ownership of the programme started by the previous administration and ways to improve on it even though this has taken part of one year without a formal engagement of the association of automotive manufacturers,” Aromolaran said