NADDC DG denies rumors of FG dropping auto policy

The Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has reacted to the rumors that the

Vanguard reports that the NADDC Director General, Engr. Aminu Jalal, has dismissed the rumors, and said that the Federal Government is still interested in improving the automotive industry.

Speaking at the Manufacturing & Equipment Expo, Nigeria 2017, where he delivered an audio visual thesis titled: ‘How to make Nigeria Africa’s leading automotive hub’, he also announced the government intends to use the auto industry as a viable alternative to oil some day.

"It is already assured the new government will continue with the policy, and the response so far has exceeded our expectations. Our emphasis as it is has shifted to the development of automotive component," he added.

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Moving on to the state of the industry, Jalal said: “The Nigerian automotive development plan is our best chance of developing this vital industry and making Nigeria Africa’s leading automotive hub, especially when viewed against the market potential of the ECOWAS and Central African countries estimated at one million vehicles annually.”

“One of the convictions of the National Automotive policy is to have vehicle assembly operations with increasing local content absorption that could evolve from one stage to another, for instance from SKD2 (semi-knocked down) to CKD (completely knocked-down) operations without exceeding 12 months or maximum 36 months including a set-up period of 12 months.”

The NADDC DG also highlighted the importance for the industry, currently valued at USD$2trillion annually.

He said the industry, which is long-term in nature, needs the policy's continuity and constituency in order to put Nigeria in the vehicle manufacturing nations category.