Foreign-Assembled Vehicles Require Presidential Approval as Government Tightens Procurement Rules
The Federal Government has directed ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to procure vehicles exclusively from licensed local assemblers or their authorised retailers under the Nigeria First Policy.
Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, disclosed this in Abuja, saying Nigeria’s vehicle assembly plants have an annual production capacity of 370,520 vehicles.
Osanipin said the policy was designed to create jobs, reduce vehicle imports and encourage local production of automotive components by prioritising Nigerian manufacturers in government procurement.
He explained that MDAs would no longer be permitted to purchase foreign-assembled vehicles unless they could demonstrate that no domestic alternative was available and obtain direct presidential approval.
He added that every vehicle supplied to the government must carry a traceable Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), verified through the NADDC. Suppliers that violate the rules could face regulatory sanctions, including blacklisting and licence revocation.
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) also warned local assemblers that poor vehicle quality, inadequate after-sales support and breaches of procurement rules would attract sanctions.
BPP Director-General Adebowale Adedokun urged manufacturers to invest in technology, quality control and maintenance services to help build a competitive domestic automotive industry.