•NADDC initiates auto design contest
Stories by Moses Akaigwe 08072100049
Precisely four months after his appointment in April, the new Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Jelani Aliyu, last week in Lagos met with stakeholders on the state of the automotive industry.
The interaction was followed three days later by the announcement by Aliyu that the council had instituted a car design competition for youths in different parts of the country to “conceptualise highly advanced, innovative and cost-effective strategically positioned market-driven concepts that would be produced in Nigeria.”
At the inaugural forum held in Lagos, issues like forex, affordable {low cost}cars, renewal of bona fide manufacturer status {certificate}, local content development, three-wheelers {keke}, used vehicle import, access to soft funds, car finance scheme and red tape in dealing with the Customs and the relevant federal ministries, were predictably, put on the front burner.
And, after a long and engaging parley, the stakeholders emerged from the Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja venue with mixed feelings over the Director General’s disclosure that a total ban on the importation of used vehicles (or tokunbo) would remain on hold pending the coming on stream of the finance scheme designed to ease the purchase of brand new cars by average Nigerians. He had also hinted of plans {with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria {SON} to ensure that tokunbo vehicles come in with certificates of roadworthiness from countries of origin.
They were, however, pleased with the new helmsman for assuring of his commitment to the development of the industry and the readiness of the council to collaborate with them towards achieving this goal.
Aliyu, who along with the NADDC Director in charge of Policy and Planning, Mr. Mamudu Luqman, discussed the various issues with the manufacturers, said the council was working towards launching the vehicle purchase scheme before the end of the year, and in partnership with a South African financial institution.
Responding to comments on local content, Aliyu and Mamudu took turns intimate the participants with efforts being made in this direction, explaining that the council had procured 200 hectares of land for the development of automotive supplier parks in Nnewi, Oshogbo and Kaduna.
Apart from the campaign to encourage government ministries, departments and agencies to patronise made-in-Nigeria vehicles, Aliyu said NADDC would collaborate with the domestic auto industry to ensure the production of cars that would be affordable in addition to meeting the needs of the local market.
As expected, the stakeholders, mainly representatives of old and new generation auto plants, highlighted the myriad of challenges they face in their daily operations and suggested possible solutions.
One of them, the Managing Director of ABC Transport, Mr. Frank Nneji, commended NADDC for the efforts so far made, but tasked the council on the imperative of developing input industries.
Nneji said “There is need for tyre industries to be developed; we should also be looking at battery, windscreen and other car accessories. The issue of input is one area that we want NADDC to focus on”.
Mr. Cornel Osigwe, who represented the Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd, Nnewi, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, bemoaned the frustrating hurdles usually encountered by genuine auto manufacturing plants in renewing their boa fide manufacturer status.
He earned the nod of the NADDC Director of Policy and Planning when he suggested that the validity period of the certificate be extended to five years from the present one year.
Boniface Nwabuko of SCOA blamed lack of finance and soft loans, as well as lack of government patronage for the inability of the auto plants to utilise their installed capacities, stressing that the situation leaves the truck and bus makers with only the few purchases from hamstrung haulage and mass transit operators.
The Managing Director of Lafbart Automobile, Akure, Mr. Femi Olafunmilayo, made a case for the empowerment of the auto makers by the NADDC through “continuous exposure.”
In his own remarks, Suleiman A. Suleiman of PAN Nigeria Ltd said the Kaduna plant has been faithful with the auto policy, just as he advised NADDC to device operating guidelines for all the plants in order to checkmate companies that only exploit aspects of the auto policy without the intention of making serious investments.
He however, added that “The forex challenge is bringing the industry down. NADDC should vigorously improve the policies as it concerns the local content.’
Also at the forum was the Executive Secretary of the Motorcycle Manufacturers Association of Nigeria {MOMAN}, Rev. Lambert Ekewuba.
Others were the Managing Director of Globe Motors, Victor Oguamalam; the Managing Director of Elizade Nigeria Ltd, Demola Ade-Ojo; Olu Tikolo of Kia Motors Nigeria Ltd; and S. N. Achiv of NADDC.
Car Design Competition
Meanwhile, in a statement over the weekend, the NADDC Director General explained that the design competition the council has instituted is open to all yours nationwide.
The statement said: “NADDC will support the development of winning concepts and integrate local content, feeding directly into the Nigerian automotive ecosystem, especially our proposed Automotive Industrial Clusters for Nnewi, Kaduna and Oshogbo.
“Automotive Design goes beyond beautiful shapes. it is about the strategic conceptualisation and development of applicable transportation solutions that will enable survival and economic growth. NADDC is working with industry professionals and stakeholders, and will soon begin the Automotive Design Competition.
“Already, a Local Organizing Committee has been inaugurated to chart the pathway towards this proposed competition”.