Mr. Jelani Aliyu The Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, (NADDC), Mr. Jelani Aliyu, has said Nigeria cannot continue to import components of automobiles considering its economy and population.
Speaking at the sideline of an event in Abuja yesterday, Mr. Aliyu said the auto council has been vigorously pursuing local content development to stem importation of auto components.
“We cannot continue to depend on imported components or products. Nigeria, a nation of close to 200 million people, must industrialise, must engage in the development of products and services that we need,” he said.
To ramp up local automotive components and parts production, the NADDC boss said he has engaged a number of international stakeholders to see how to entrust them and support them into coming to Nigeria to produce.
“Not too long ago, we were in South Africa. We met with a number of component manufacturers, who were very interested in being connected with Nigerian investors and Nigerian partners to begin to produce components in Nigeria,” he said.
The NADDC has instituted the Local Automotive Components/Parts Fund to encourage local production of parts of vehicles. The Council, through the fund, supports research work aimed at advancing the frontiers of technological development in the auto industry by direct grant to related research project relevant to the development of the automotive sector with potential for commercialisation.
Information sourced from NADDC, such research must also show that the raw materials, infrastructure and relevant manpower to conduct the study are available.
Recall that Berekotry Industries Nigeria Limited was awarded a grant of N4 million for research and development to perfect the production of auto lubricating grease of various grades from Hexose Cassava, petroleum oils and saponification materials in 2010.
To further advance local content development, the NADDC has developed 94 automotive safety standards with the standards organization of Nigeria (SON) and other stakeholders.
SOURCE: dailytrust