Manny Ita –
The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin, has revealed that Nigeria expended over ₦1 trillion on the importation of vehicle tyres in 2024 alone. Speaking at a sensitization workshop for the Nigeria Tyre and Battery Industry held in Abuja on Thursday, February 5, Osanipin described the expenditure as “unsustainable” for an economy prioritizing industrial growth and the conservation of foreign exchange.
The NADDC head emphasized that the country possesses the necessary raw materials, market demand, and capacity to produce these essential components domestically. “According to our survey, Nigeria spent more than one trillion naira importing tyres last year. This is why we are advocating an end to tyre and battery importation and encouraging local manufacturing to grow GDP and fast-track national economic development,” Osanipin stated. He further noted that with over 60 million tyres currently in use nationwide, the scale of the domestic market provides a significant opportunity for investors to transition from importation to local assembly and production.
A major focus of the workshop was the implementation of backward integration under the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP-2023). Osanipin highlighted that Nigeria, as a leading producer of natural rubber in Africa, must stop exporting raw materials only to re-import finished products. “We cannot continue to export raw materials and import finished products. Where we have comparative advantage, we must take advantage of it,” he told stakeholders. He identified tyres and batteries as “critical entry points” for automotive localization due to their relatively less complex production technologies compared to other vehicle components.
The push for a ban on tyre and battery imports aligns with the federal government’s “Nigeria-First” policy, which seeks to revitalize the automotive value chain and create industrial jobs. Beyond traditional vehicles, the NADDC is also prioritizing New Energy Vehicle (NEV) battery management and the production of lithium-ion battery plates. “We are no longer just discussing assembly; we are focusing on the core building blocks of the industry,” Osanipin noted, adding that the council is collaborating with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to ensure that homegrown products meet international safety benchmarks.
As part of its roadmap for 2026, the NADDC plans to introduce a detailed implementation strategy to monitor progress in the tyre and battery sub-sectors. By fostering a circular economy—reinforced by the recently approved End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Regulations 2025—the government aims to formalize the recycling of old components and reduce the massive capital flight currently associated with the automotive aftermarket. “This is not just another policy pronouncement,” Osanipin assured. “We are measuring progress and will hold ourselves and our partners to high standards.”
