To deepen localisation and economic growth, Communication Consultant and Professor of Mass Communication at Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Prof. Oscar Odiboh, has raised reasons for a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s approach to auto manufacturing.
Odiboh who spoke at the recent Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) summit in Lagos, where experts and stakeholders gathered to deliberate on local content as a driver of Nigeria’s automotive transformation, stressed the need to gradually phase out Completely Knocked Down (CKD) and Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) imports to deepen backward integration and industrial capacity.
Delivering a keynote presentation titled “Nigeria First: Local Content as Catalyst for Automotive Economy”, Odiboh called for a sweeping local content agenda anchored on the Nigerian Content Plan (NCP), urging Nigerian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to demonstrate commitment to sourcing a substantial percentage of their raw materials, services, and workforce locally.
According to him, this would not only stimulate the domestic economy but also foster technological innovation, value chain integration, and sustainable job creation.
“Nigerian OEMs must begin to prioritise local value chain contributors over imports. We must dismantle unfair external advantages and promote healthy local competition and co-creation”, he stated.
In line with the call for deeper localisation, Odiboh tasked key institutions with specific mandates.
The Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) was urged to ensure originality in design and engineering of Made-in-Nigeria vehicles.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) were called upon to rigorously enforce local content and quality compliance standards.
Additionally, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Coordinating Ministry of Economy were urged to establish a sustainable investment support framework for OEMs, including incentives and access to affordable credit.
To drive attitudinal change, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) was tasked with reorienting both citizens and government agencies towards patronising Nigerian-made vehicles, while the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) was encouraged to form partnerships between technical institutions and OEMs to nurture a skilled automotive workforce through internships and training.
The University don passionately proposed the creation of a National Automotive Economy Agency (NAEA), a body envisioned to spearhead automotive industrialisation under the current administration’s “Nigeria First” agenda. Odiboh recommended that the agency be established by President Bola Tinubu with a $5 billion seed grant and a 25-year profit gestation plan.
He further suggested a linguistic shift to reframe the sector’s importance: “Let’s stop calling it the ‘auto industry.’ It’s time to refer to it as the ‘auto economy,’ and every stakeholder should henceforth be regarded as an ‘automotive investor”.