Why the Nigerian government is starting its auto parts import deletion programme with motorcycles and tricycles is largely due to the enormous size of the country’s two- and three-wheeler market.
According to the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), industry estimates indicate that more than 10 million motorcycles and tricycles are currently operating across Nigeria, making the segment one of the largest mobility markets in Africa.
Director-General of the council, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, while answering questions a guest on a Nigerian TV channel, said the scale of that market provides the minimum production volume needed to sustain local manufacturing of component parts, a key requirement for the success of the government’s new import deletion strategy.
“With that level of market size, local manufacturers can achieve the kind of volume needed to compete with imported parts,” he explained.
The import deletion programme is part of a broader effort to move Nigeria’s automotive sector beyond simple assembly to full-scale local manufacturing.
Although most motorcycles and tricycles sold in Nigeria are assembled locally, the majority of their components are still imported.
According to Osanipin, about 95 percent of motorcycles and tricycles in the country are assembled in Nigeria, but that does not translate into genuine manufacturing.
“When we say assembly, it means most of the parts come from outside the country and are just put together locally,” he said. “Manufacturing means producing those parts here.”
The council’s new strategy is therefore designed to gradually replace imported components with locally manufactured ones.
The first phase of the programme will target selected generic components that can be competitively produced within Nigeria’s existing industrial capacity.
These include Batteries, Tyres, Reflectors, Plastic components, Seat foam and leather covers
Because these items are already produced in various industrial sectors, NADDC believes they can be adapted quickly for motorcycle and tricycle production.
“Battery is generic, tyre is generic, reflector is generic,” Osanipin noted. “Some plastic parts are also generic. These are components we can produce locally.”
Under the import deletion framework, the government plans to withdraw incentives currently enjoyed by imported versions of those parts once local manufacturers are capable of supplying sufficient volumes.
Without those incentives, imported components would become more expensive, making locally manufactured alternatives more attractive to assemblers.
By doing so, the policy aims to encourage domestic sourcing and stimulate the growth of a local automotive supply chain.
Motorcycles and tricycles were also chosen as the starting point because they involve less complex technology than passenger vehicles, making them easier for local industries to support.
The machinery and technical expertise required to produce many of their parts are less sophisticated, allowing Nigerian manufacturers to scale production faster.
Industry analysts say the import deletion initiative is a strategically sound programme, but note that its full effectiveness will depend largely on the quick passage into law of the proposed Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan Bill.
The bill seeks to give legal backing to the country’s automotive development strategy and contains provisions that support measures such as the import deletion programme.
Analysts argue that once the legislation is enacted, it will provide greater policy stability, regulatory clarity and enforcement powers needed to ensure compliance across the automotive value chain.
Without such legal backing, they warn, policy initiatives could face implementation challenges.
NADDC said the import deletion initiative will be implemented through a phased timeline designed to give local manufacturers time to build capacity.
The programme will run across Short-term phase (first three years), Medium-term phase (next three years) and Long-term phase (beyond six years)
During this period, the council will also continue training and certification programmes aimed at strengthening local technical capacity.
“We started building capacity even before launching the programme,” Osanipin said. “This year we will continue with training and certification.”
Industry observers say starting with motorcycles and tricycles reflects a pragmatic industrial strategy, using a large existing market and simpler technology as a foundation for broader automotive manufacturing.
If successfully implemented, the approach could eventually extend to passenger vehicles and other segments of the automotive industry, significantly reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported auto parts.
For now, however, the country’s millions of motorcycles and tricycles may hold the key to building Nigeria’s long-awaited automotive component manufacturing base.
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