OPEYEMI OLOTU
Nigeria is revving up for an automotive revolution as the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) rolls out a bold plan to build a massive Automotive Development Park in Nnewi, a move aimed squarely at slashing the country’s addiction to imported vehicles.
Speaking recently in Abuja, NADDC Director-General Oluwemimo Osanipin revealed that the project is a flagship pillar of Nigeria First policy under President Bola Tinubu, designed to supercharge local vehicle production and finally fix Nigeria’s broken auto ecosystem.
At the heart of the plan is a game-changing concept: a shared industrial hub where manufacturers can plug in and start operations without the crushing cost of building infrastructure from scratch. From assembly lines to component production, the Nnewi park is being positioned as a one-stop powerhouse for auto manufacturing.
Osanipin made it clear – progress has been made, but the real acceleration will come when investors step in with fresh capital. The message is loud: this is a high-stakes call for banks, private investors, and industry players to jump on board or risk missing Nigeria’s auto boom.
The vision? Transform Nnewi, already dubbed Nigeria’s auto capital, into a fully integrated manufacturing nerve centre, slashing production costs and ending the fragmentation that has long crippled the sector.
And there’s more fuel in the tank.
The Federal Government is backing the push with a major policy shift, approving electric vehicles for civil servants, with a strict directive: buy local. EV buses assembled in Nigeria will hit the roads, supported by a growing network of charging stations nationwide, a clear signal that Nigeria is eyeing a slice of the global clean mobility race.
NADDC is also moving to localize critical components like batteries and tyres, while partnering with the Bank of Industry to unlock funding through the National Automotive Development Fund.
The bottom line? Nigeria is plotting a full-throttle escape from import dependence and Nnewi is ground zero.
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