Eleven million vehicles traversing Nigerian roads – NADDC
Omeiza Bilal
The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) says an estimated 11 million vehicles were traversing Nigerian roads.
The Director General of NADDC, Mr Oluwemimo Joseph-Osanipin who revealed this at the Nigeria Automotive Industry stakeholders conference in Abuja, with the theme: “Collaborative Strategies for a Sustainable Automotive Industry”, said the number reflects the potentials in the industry.
According to him, all plans are on deck to partner with key stakeholders to develop robust policies to boost local production and attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in the sector.
The NADDC helmsman noted that stakeholders in the automotive industry are the architects of Nigeria’s diversified economic structure needed for national development.
He further advised participants to come up with strategies towards building a future where Nigerian-made vehicles would not only dominate the nation’s roads but also become a symbol of innovation and progress.
“The Nigerian automotive sector is a vital artery of our economy, propelling commerce, facilitating transportation and creating jobs and as we all know, this industry is a dynamic force, intimately intertwined with the economic climate, technological advancements and even the environmental landscape.
“At the National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, we firmly believe that building a robust automotive industry is a marathon not a sprint and it demands unwavering commitment, the agility to adapt when necessary and most importantly, unwavering collaboration to reach a shared finish line, ” he said.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr Olasupo Olusi described the industry as key to job creation, youth empowerment, poverty eradication and economic development.
Represented by the Bank’s Divisional Head, Business Development, Mr Obaro Osah, Olasupo assured operators in the sector of its towards enhancing the growth of the industry.
Also, the President of Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, Alhaji Yusuf Othman stressed the need for Nigerians to patronize made in Nigeria vehicles to boost the country’s economy.
He identified inadequate Infrastructure as major challenges confronting the sector and called for more collaborative efforts towards effective sustainability in the successes recorded so far in the industry.
