The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Nigeria’s automotive regulator, wants the federal government to place a ban on imported vehicle tyres and batteries, warning that the country already exports too much of the money that could grow its local factories.
Oluwemimo Osanipin, director-general of the NADDC, made the case in Abuja this week, where the Council disclosed that Nigeria spent up to N1 trillion on vehicle tyre imports in 2024, according to its findings.
Nigeria imports the vast majority of the vehicle tyres used in the country to meet high demand for budget-friendly options, 80 percent of which come from Asia, primarily China, India, and Thailand.
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Osanipin said the ban is important to grow Nigeria’s manufacturing base and, consequently, its GDP.
The Council’s long-term strategy hangs on the National Automotive Industry Development Plan, which encourages local sourcing of raw materials and components like rubber, synthetic rubber, and carbon black, producing lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries, alongside stricter quality assurance to ensure those made-in-Nigeria meet international safety and performance standards.
Osanipin sees a future “where the vehicles on our roads are not only assembled here but are also built with local components manufactured by Nigerian hands.”
Yet, officials also pointed to deep-seated challenges holding back local manufacturers, including difficulty accessing raw materials, weak certification systems and the absence of structured recycling for used tyres and batteries.
The council said these gaps have continued to discourage investment and slowed sector growth.
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Attention is also turning to new energy vehicles. Regulators told stakeholders of opportunities in lithium-ion battery management as Nigeria prepares for a gradual shift towards cleaner transport.
Osanipin noted that the recently approved End-of-Life Vehicle Regulations are intended to support a circular economy by formalising the collection and recycling of waste automotive components.
Development finance institutions at the event, including the Bank of Industry, said funding is available for viable projects that promote local value addition, while trade banks spotted export opportunities for manufacturers that meet rules of origin and local content requiremen
