The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) says nearly 40 vehicle assembly plants are now operational across Nigeria, describing the development as a major milestone for the country’s automotive industry.
NADDC Director-General, Joseph Osanipin, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a one-day Human-Centered Data and AI Master Class organised for members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN).
Osanipin, who was represented by the council’s Director of Public Relations, Susan Taiwo, said Nigeria had previously had no functioning vehicle assembly plant.
“By the special grace of God, we have almost 40 assembly plants now functioning,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to create greater awareness about developments in the automotive sector, stressing that the industry required sustained attention and increased private-sector participation to realise its full potential.
Osanipin said NADDC was also supporting the transition to cleaner mobility through initiatives focused on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric vehicles.
He said the council had licensed 80 CNG conversion centres nationwide and trained about 100 people in each geopolitical zone on vehicle conversion and installation.
The NADDC boss added that the council had installed pilot electric vehicle charging stations in some tertiary institutions, while urging private investors to establish more charging stations and CNG facilities across the country.
According to him, inadequate charging infrastructure remains a major obstacle to the adoption of electric vehicles in Nigeria.
He called on investors to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the automotive sector, particularly in CNG conversion and electric mobility, noting that adequate infrastructure would boost public confidence in cleaner transportation technologies.