Photo Caption
L-R: GM, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Coscharis Group, Mr Abiona Babarinde; Guest Speaker, Professor Oscar Odiboh; Deputy MD, RT Briscoe (Nig) Plc, Dr Femi Eguaikhide; Assistant Corps Marshal, Zonal Commanding officer RS2 HQ Lagos and Ogun, Ann Oladayo; and Chairman, Nigeria Auto Journalists Association, Mr Theodore Opara, during the 2nd Edition of the Nigeria Auto Industry Summit held in Lagos.
A university don, from the Delta State University, Delta state, Prof. Oscar Odiboh has called for improved local content in the Nigerian automobile sector, saying that this would enhance job generation and improve the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the economy.
Odiboh who is also an automotive industry consultant, proposed the creation of a National Automotive Economy Agency (NAEA), a body envisaged to spearhead automotive industrialisation under the current administration’s “Nigeria First” agenda.
The don stated these recently in Lagos during the Nigeria Auto Industry Summit (NAISU), organised by the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) with the theme: ‘Nigeria First: Local Content as Catalyst for Automotive Economy.’
Odiboh in his paper, canvassed for a sweeping local content agenda anchored on the Nigerian Content Plan (NCP) and further called for a compelling case for a radical shift in Nigeria’s approach to auto manufacturing.
He further challenged the 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.
He said: “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 further proposed a gradual phase-out of Completely Knocked Down (CKD) and Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) imports to deepen backward integration and industrial capacity.
In line with the call for deeper localisation, Odiboh tasked key institutions with specific mandates.
He charged the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to ensure originality in design and engineering of Made-in-Nigeria vehicles, while also calling on the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to enforce local content and quality compliance standards.
To drive attitudinal change, Odiboh called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to re-orientate both the 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.
Besides, Odiboh further 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.
He recommended that the agency be established by President Bola Tinubu with a $5 billion seed grant and a 25-year profit gestation plan.
He added: “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.”
