By Lilian Silas.
The National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, says it is committed to building an automotive sector that is structured, sustainable, competitive, transparent and responsive to the needs of businesses and consumers across Nigeria.
The Director-General of NADDC, Otumba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, stated this while addressing participants at a national sensitisation workshop on the NADDC Dealership Registration Portal held in Kaduna.
The Director-General, who was represented by the Director, Policy Planning and Statistics, Mr Umar Nura Sidi, explained that the dealership registration framework was designed to address longstanding challenges in the motor dealership subsector, including informality, fragmented records, inadequate data, manual processes and limited visibility of legitimate operators.
He urged motor dealers across the North-West to formally register their businesses, warning that non-compliant operators could face enforcement measures.
Otumba Osanipin also called on stakeholders to take advantage of the sensitisation exercise to ask questions and seek necessary clarifications.
He maintained that the initiative was consistent with the broader objectives of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan, NAIDP, 2023–2033, particularly the drive towards a more organised, competitive and data-driven Nigerian automotive industry.
According to him, a reliable dealership registration system will provide greater visibility for operators, support access to institutional finance and business partnerships, strengthen consumer confidence and provide government with reliable information for policy formulation, planning and industry development.
He stressed that the initiative was not merely intended to create another administrative requirement for motor dealers, but to establish a credible and transparent framework through which legitimate dealerships could be properly identified, documented and integrated into the formal automotive ecosystem.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Association of Motor Dealers, Kaduna State, Mallam Aminu Ibrahim Dankakalo, welcomed the dealership registration portal, expressing optimism that it would guide dealers on their eligibility to operate, import vehicles and access contracts.
He pointed out that the initiative would also help reduce car theft, fraud and other criminal activities within the sector.
Mallam Dankakalo added that NADDC certification had become important for dealers seeking to bid for contracts at both state and federal levels, saying the initiative was aimed at promoting sanity and accountability in the automotive business.
He assured that the association would adhere strictly to the registration requirements, while noting that the motor dealership industry provides significant employment and income-generating opportunities.
In his remarks, one of the participants, the Managing Director of Saffar Motors Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Usman Abba Ibrahim, described the workshop as a clear manifestation of NADDC’s efforts to sanitise the automotive sector, from vehicle importation and assembly to sales.
He said the intervention would promote sanity within the industry and create a safer and more productive environment for legitimate business owners.
Alhaji Usman added that a more organised automotive sector would also encourage consistent payment of taxes and create employment opportunities for youths and other job seekers.
Editing By Abubakar Hamza.
