Auto CEOs, NADDC, Customs, FIRS, NDLEA meets on protracted industry issues

All arrangements have been concluded to organise a conference that will bring together all the managing directors and chief executives of major auto firms in Nigeria and heads of government agencies in the industry.

Scheduled to hold in Abuja inside the NICON Luxury Hotel, on May 26, 2022, it is the maiden edition of the Auto CEOs Forum being put together by Concerned Auto Editors in conjunction with the National Automotive Design and Development Council.

The forum, according to the organisers, will x-ray major issues adversely affecting the operations and slowing down the development of the auto industry in the country. It will also proffer workable solutions that would be jointly executed by these critical stakeholders.

Specifically, the parley will address issues such as the auto policy, local assembly plants and low patronage of locally assembled vehicles, import levies/duties; exchange rate policy as it affects auto businesses; and vehicle clearing-related problems.

Government agencies participating at the forum, apart from the NADDC, as the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Central Bank of Nigeria, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Finance, terminal operators, and Association of Clearing Agents.

Some of the automobile companies whose chief executives are featuring in the maiden edition of the event included Toyota Nigeria Limited, Weststar Associates, Innoson Motors, PAN Nigeria, Lanre Shittu Motors, CFAO, Kia Nigeria, Nord Automobiles, TSS Automobile, Dangote Peugeot Automobile/Sinotruck, Coscharis Motors, CIG Motors, Tata Motors, Jet Motor Company (Jet Systems) and Omaa Motors.

Director-general, National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, said the agency was excited about the Auto CEOs Forum initiative and expressed hope that the parley would provide the needed opportunity to resolve those issues that had set the industry back and enable the stakeholders to forge a new relationship for speedy growth of the auto sector in Nigeria.