The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has formally asked the federal government to waive duties on raw materials imported by local vehicle manufacturers, after a recent oversight visit to two Anambra‑state plants.
Director General Otunba Joseph Oluwemimo Osanipin and Board Chairman Chief Emma Eneukwu led NADDC’s management and board members on a tour of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) in Nnewi and Kojo Motors in Umunya. The delegation inspected the facilities and praised the level of innovation in clean‑energy vehicles, noting the production of electric‑vehicle (EV) and compressed natural gas (CNG) models.
Osanipin told journalists that the council heard “complaints about high tariffs” on imported raw materials, which raise the cost of locally assembled cars and make them “unable to compete with other imported vehicles.” He said NADDC will “take the complaints to the right quarters and canvass for zero duty for importation of his raw materials,” stressing that duties on items such as iron rods add to vehicle prices and threaten the sector’s competitiveness.
Board Chairman Chief Eneukwu echoed the call for protection, urging the government to impose “full tax on vehicle importation” to prevent foreign‑built cars from crowding out domestic production. He welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Nigeria First” policy, which aims to “ensure that we produce what we consume and consume what we produce,” and noted a recent memo from the SGF directing all ministries to patronise locally manufactured goods.
Innoson’s chief executive, Innocent Chukwuma, said the company is already constructing a second factory and remains “encouraged to continue on the path of industrialisation to ensure that young people are employed.” Kojo Motors’ chairman, Ikenna John Oguegbu, also participated in the tour, underscoring the council’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s nascent automotive industry.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
