- FG Targets End to Used Car Imports as Auto Policy Gains Momentum
- Osanipin explained that the NADDC, working alongside other regulatory agencies and private sector stakeholders
- Says the ELV regulation is designed to formalise vehicle recycling in Nigeria
The Federal Government has stepped up plans to reduce Nigeria’s long-standing reliance on imported used vehicles, signalling a significant policy shift aimed at boosting local automobile manufacturing, improving vehicle quality standards and deepening the country’s industrial base.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the renewed commitment was reiterated in Lagos at the 18th edition of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association International Auto Awards, where the Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said current government interventions are deliberately designed to discourage used vehicle imports while promoting locally assembled and manufactured alternatives.
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Osanipin explained that the NADDC, working alongside other regulatory agencies and private sector stakeholders, is tightening vehicle entry requirements to ensure that only compliant and roadworthy automobiles are allowed into the Nigerian market.
According to him, the broader objective is a gradual but decisive transition away from used vehicle imports towards increased domestic production. Central to this strategy is the National Auto Industry Development Policy, which had remained stalled for years but is now receiving renewed political and institutional backing.
Osanipin disclosed that the council is targeting the passage of the auto policy into law by the National Assembly by the second quarter of 2026. He said the NADDC is fully committed to strengthening local manufacturing and will soon transmit the policy to the legislature, while engaging industry stakeholders extensively during the public hearing process.
Beyond legislative efforts, the NADDC boss noted that the Federal Government has already begun putting regulatory structures in place to support the transition. He cited the End of Life Vehicle Recycling Regulation, introduced in March 2025, as a key policy instrument reinforcing the clampdown on imported used vehicles.
According to Osanipin, the ELV regulation is designed to formalise vehicle recycling in Nigeria, promote a circular economy, reduce environmental and safety risks, and create new employment opportunities across the automotive value chain.
He explained that the regulation ensures vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life are responsibly dismantled and recycled, supporting environmental protection while opening up new business and job opportunities in recycling, logistics and component recovery.
