The Federal Government has proactively attracted foreign investments to the Nigerian automotive industry.
Mr Joseph Osanipin, the Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development (NADDC), said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Osanipin said a significant effort geared towards this move was the recent meeting with the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) on May 3.
According to him, AAAM, consisting of eight major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in Africa, has expressed keen interest in investing in Nigeria.
‘They are looking at areas and how to invest in Nigeria because they know we have something that is unique and that’s the market, the population and then the growing youth.
‘When you look at the age of the Nigerian population, you will now know that a lot of Nigerians are below 40 years. These are the people that buy cars more.
‘So they know this is where to invest. We are working with them, we know their concerns, we have noted
them and we are working with those concerns.
He said the investors were discussing with the Federal Government on how to explore investment opportunities in the country.
On vehicle recalls, the NADDC said the council focused on ensuring the quality of locally assembled vehicles to meet global standards.
‘So what we will try to do with our own assemblers is; there are some basic processes to ensure quality assurance. We always make sure that those basic processes are in place and adhered to.
‘Some of these vehicles that are recalled, it is when you are using it you realise something is wrong either with the braking system or feasibility or a lot of things.’
According to Osanipin, every vehicle assembled in Nigeria undergoes rigorous testing to ensure compliance with safety standards.
He said NADDC also had a compliance unit that monitored service failures and quality issues and ensured that appropriate actions were taken.
The director-general said that for vehicles that required recall, the council alwa
ys followed up with its representatives from Nigeria to tackle the issue.
Osanipin said the efforts to attract foreign investments, ensure safety and quality, and promote locally assembled vehicles were all part of a comprehensive strategy.
According to him, the strategy is to strengthen the automotive industry and drive economic prosperity.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria