ROTIMI ASHER
Resident Automotive Components Dealers Association of Nigeria (RACDAN) has stepped up efforts at riding Nigeria of substandard automotive parts.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]owards this end, the Association, through its stands at this year’s Lagos International Fair and West Africa Automotive Show, reached out to corporate and individual dealers in the automotive sector, with the purpose of growing its platform for the enthronement of sanity in the Nigeria automotive market.
Speaking exclusively to Motoring World at the WAAS venue, Mr. Lukman Mamudu the RACDAN Chairman, who is also former Acting Director general of national Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), revealed that the association came into being to put a stop to the infiltration of auto parts market with fake products and erase the mentality of Nigerians on the use of ‘Tokunbo’ auto parts.
“Over the years,” he explained, “Nigeria’s automotive parts market has been bedeviled with fake and fairly used auto parts popularly called ‘Tokunbo’. As the nation journey towards establishing a virile auto industry, need to sanitize the automotive parts market is long overdue, as the incidence of substandard parts continue to undermine the market and cause carnage on Nigerian roads.
“The automobile as a whole is a safety item and all components and parts fitted must be standard compliant. So, RACDAN is poised to end the sales of substandard automotive parts by ensuring that only quality automotive parts are distributed in Nigeria.
“We are motivated by the long list of Nigeria end-users, who crave and continue to crave a source that will guarantee reliable products and responsive after sales service.
‘’RACDAN is, therefore, positioned to continuously close this gap by drawing dealers committed to quality to its fold. It equally gives opportunity to potential traders, who believe in structured systems. For RACDAN members, commitment to only quality parts offering is mandatory.
‘’It strives to do this by gradually expanding its linkage to the global quality automotive parts supplier chain through association with credible manufacturers and procuring entities.
According to Mr. Mamudu, RACDAN relies on technology and guidance by local regulatory agencies, including Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC).’’
He said, “trade terms negotiated by RACDAN so far have translated to members competitive pricing and supply of quality parts offering to end-users.’’
He, therefore, implored Corporate and individual Dealers in the nation’s automotive sector to serve a human course by joining the association, adding that they would, in return derive investment value from the RACDAN’s long list of trade support services and even backward integration to manufacturing.
RACDAN was incorporated in 2018 as a trade association platform for procurement, distribution and sales of only quality automotive component and parts.
