Nigeria’s automotive industry requires a stronger legal and regulatory framework to protect local manufacturers, discourage the influx of used and substandard vehicles and improve the competitiveness of locally produced vehicles, stakeholders have said.

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Emma Eneukwu, made the call during an oversight visit by the council’s board and management to automotive manufacturing facilities operated by KOJO Motors and Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM).

The visit formed part of NADDC’s ongoing assessment of the operational capacity, technical capabilities, investment levels and challenges confronting vehicle manufacturers in the country.

Eneukwu said a comprehensive automotive industry law was necessary to provide clearer rules for the sector, protect investments in local manufacturing and create a more predictable operating environment.

He identified the continued influx of used and substandard vehicles as one of the issues requiring stronger regulatory intervention, arguing that local manufacturing would be difficult to develop without measures that improve the market position of vehicles produced in Nigeria.

The board chairman also commended the investments and technological development observed at the facilities visited, stressing the importance of creating conditions that enable manufacturers to expand their operations.

In his speech, the Director-General of NADDC, Oluwemimo Osanipin, said the inspections were aimed at giving the council a clearer understanding of the capabilities, opportunities, and operational challenges facing local manufacturers.

He said the council would continue to support initiatives aimed at increasing local content, developing technical capacity and promoting the adoption of emerging automotive technologies.

At IVM, Osanipin highlighted the company’s investments in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric vehicles and other new-energy vehicle technologies, describing such investments as important to the evolution of Nigeria’s automotive industry.

The visit also drew renewed attention to the challenge of moving Nigeria’s automotive market beyond vehicle assembly towards deeper local manufacturing and technology development.

At KOJO Motors, the company’s Executive Director, Chinedu Oguegbu, said the firm had, over more than three decades of operations, built its business around partnerships with global original equipment manufacturers and technology-transfer initiatives.

He cited the company’s collaboration with Yutong and the development of the locally produced OMAA brand as part of its efforts to expand Nigeria’s participation in vehicle manufacturing.

At IVM, the Chief Executive Officer, Innocent Chukwuma, called for faster adoption of CNG and EV technologies, while urging policymakers to implement measures that would improve the competitiveness of
locally manufactured vehicles.

NADDC said the inspection visits would strengthen its engagement with manufacturers and help shape practical interventions aimed at deepening local production, strengthening the automotive value chain and advancing Nigeria’s automotive industrialisation.