FEMI OWOEYE
The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has launched a nationwide digital registration exercise for motor dealers, in a major move to identify operators and bring Nigeria’s dealership sector under a more structured regulatory framework.
The exercise, which follows the recent launch of the Council’s National Automotive Repository Portal, is expected to create a comprehensive database of motor dealers, providing government with accurate information on their locations, operations and distribution across the country.
NADDC Director-General, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, who was represented by the Director, Policy, Planning and Statistics, Mr Umar Nura Sidi, disclosed this at a sensitisation programme for motor dealers in Kaduna on September 30, 2026.
Osanipin said the registration was not intended to impose an additional burden on dealers but to give legitimate operators a verifiable identity within Nigeria’s formal automotive industry.
He said the lack of reliable data on motor dealerships had made it difficult for government to determine the actual size and activities of the subsector, thereby limiting effective policy planning.
According to him, the new digital registration system will provide government with credible data needed to formulate policies and programmes that respond to the realities of the dealership market.
The initiative could also give registered dealers greater access to banks, investors, suppliers and other financial institutions by providing a verifiable business identity.
“For the dealer, registration provides an opportunity to establish a verifiable business identity within the automotive sector,” Osanipin said, adding that proper documentation would also strengthen consumer confidence.
The National President of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, endorsed the exercise and urged dealers to participate actively.
Adedoyin said a properly organised dealership subsector would strengthen cooperation between government and operators, while improving the industry’s contribution to the wider economy.
NADDC said the North-West was being given particular attention because of its strategic role in vehicle distribution, transportation, agriculture, logistics and regional commerce.
The Council assured dealers that it would continue consultations with AMDON, state governments, financial institutions and other stakeholders to ensure that the registration framework remains accessible and transparent.
The nationwide exercise marks a significant step towards establishing a reliable database of Nigeria’s motor dealers—and could fundamentally change how the subsector is identified, monitored and integrated into the country’s automotive development plans.
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