He also spoke on the accreditation of compressed natural gas (CNG) powered conversion workshops, stating that, “In line with the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi), of President Ahmed Tinubu, the Council has commenced accreditation of all CNG powered vehicles conversion workshops to ensure international best practices at the workshops. The major focus is on well-equipped facility and qualified personnel in the conversion centres. Recently, the Council organized a Stakeholders Engagement Meeting in Abuja where the guidelines for safe and standard conversion procedures were rolled out.
“To that end, an online portal has been created for registration of existing and prospective converters. Upon expression of interest by registration and completion of the requirements, our experts shall conduct thorough inspection of the workshops to ensure all standardization and safety measures are adhered to, before accreditation and certification, because we will not compromise quality service delivery in any workshop. Our utmost priority is safety, and in partnership with other relevant stakeholders, we will uphold the programme as part of the efforts of NADDC to facilitate the adoption of green energy mobility and improve safety measures in the transport sector.”
In consonant with the mission of the NADDC, he said the federal government inaugurated the 2023-NAIDP Implementation Committee, to ensure proper implementation of the plan, for the realisation of full scale local production of multiple brands of vehicles and component parts that would be world standard and compete favourably in the global market. When this plan is legislated upon, it would spur more activities in the sector, and promote the local automotive industry. “We will intensify our engagements with other stakeholders in a concerted effort to enhance cooperation in the area of implementation. It is through participatory integrated approach that we can achieve effective and efficient Auto Policy in Nigeria.
“The Nigerian automotive industry offers significant investment opportunities in the manufacture of vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles, and bicycles as well as their components and spares. The approval of the 2023-NAIDP and adoption of local CNG-Powered vehicles by the federal government is a proof of its desire to ensure that more automobiles and components are produced locally. Nigeria also has the potential of becoming motor vehicle manufacturing centre for the entire West African and Central African sub-regions.”
The chairman, organising committee, Managing Director BKG Exhibitions Limited, Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Agwu said, “The automotive industry is vital to Nigeria’s economy, generating revenue, creating employment, and showcasing the state of our economy.
“However, the sector faces significant challenges, including the need for a well-thought-out policy and program to drive growth and development.
“I urge the federal government to reinstitute and drive a revised National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) that reflects the current realities and developments in the sector. The global de-carbonization agenda presents challenges that our industry must address urgently.
“I call on all stakeholders to close ranks and pursue the development of the sector with focus and dedication. We must utilize every opportunity to draw the attention of policymakers and implementers to the challenges facing our sector.
“BKG Exhibitions and its partners are committed to strengthening the Nigerian Autoparts and After Market’s role as the hub of the sector’s business in Africa. We aim to make Nigeria the preferred destination for autoparts trade in the continent.
“We are excited to announce the introduction of Autoparts Markets Leaders’ Conference/Summit. This exclusive gathering will provide a platform for industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to interact, share knowledge, and discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the automotive sector. Attendees will benefit from networking opportunities, market insights, business growth, influence and representation, professional development, brand visibility, and access to decision-makers.
While the government at various levels in Nigeria are still wobbling trying to put the right policy together, Nigerians have taken their fates into own hands in respect to cheap sourcing of parts for the often troubled vehicles.
A visit to Ladipo, Jankara, Owode and Spare Parts Markets will give you a dose of the satisfaction sought for any sick vehicle. These are places where you can get cheap and affordable second hand vehicles with accessories of similar brands at affordable prices.
The technicians in these markets dismember old brands of vehicles and the ones crashed beyond repairs to excavate the various parts for sale to prospective buyers to replace spoilt parts in the vehicle currently in use.
According to Jeff, a Motor Mechanic, “Lot of vehicles you see today would have been off the road but for these markets, whose trade mark has always been cost accessibility, personally I have being patronizing the market for many years and the satisfaction I get is that I always get most of the parts I’m looking for to the satisfaction of my clients.
“You will find different grades of auto spare parts there; the imported ones, the ones used in Nigeria and even vehicles too are put on sale in this market. Your purse in this instance determines what you buy, unlike some other markets where they claim their wares are imported and you get disappointed at the end of the day when this commodity did not ‘deliver’ on the seller’s promise,” he stated.
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