Nigeria is tightening oversight of vehicles entering its borders, introducing a stricter certification system aimed at improving safety standards across the country’s vast automotive market.
In a decisive shift from previous practice, the Federal Government has announced that every vehicle destined for Nigeria, whether brand new or used, must now undergo certification before it leaves its country of origin. The new requirement replaces the long-standing post-entry inspection system and is designed to prevent unsafe or substandard vehicles from reaching Nigerian roads in the first place.
The policy forms part of the Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme (VehCAP), a joint initiative of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC). Under the programme, importers must secure a valid pre-shipment certificate before a vehicle can qualify for key stages of the import process, including approval for Form M, customs processing, import financing, and eventual registration within Nigeria.
Speaking at a workshop in Abuja, John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, made the government’s position unequivocal. Vehicles or automotive products that arrive without proper certification, he warned, will simply not be allowed into the system.
“No vehicle or automotive product shall be imported, cleared, registered or licensed without valid certification,” Enoh stated. Imports that fail to meet the requirement, he added, could face refusal of clearance, seizure, or additional sanctions.
The directive takes effect immediately and places responsibility on several key government agencies to ensure compliance across the supply chain.
At the ports, the Nigeria Customs Service has been tasked with stopping uncertified vehicles from clearing cargo procedures. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will ensure that import financing is only granted to shipments backed by valid certification, while the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will monitor compliance at points of entry and throughout the import process.
The move reflects a growing concern about the quality of vehicles entering Nigeria, a country that hosts Africa’s largest automotive market. For years, industry stakeholders have pointed to the steady inflow of poorly inspected vehicles, many arriving without adequate safety verification or emissions checks. Such lapses, analysts say, have contributed to defective vehicle components circulating on Nigerian roads and may be linked to higher accident risks.
According to Joseph Osanipin, Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, addressing the issue at the point of origin is far more effective than attempting to regulate defective vehicles after they have already entered the market.
“Once a substandard vehicle enters the country, the cost of control, both economic and human becomes significantly higher,” Osanipin explained.
For policymakers, the objective is not to shut the door on vehicle imports but to ensure that the vehicles entering the country meet acceptable standards. As Enoh put it, the government’s approach is about striking a practical balance.
“I think that without taking an extreme position, we must find a middle ground,” he said.
If effectively enforced, the new certification regime could mark a turning point for Nigeria’s automotive landscape, raising safety standards, improving regulatory oversight, and ensuring that vehicles arriving at the nation’s ports are fit for the roads they are destined to serve.
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