NADDC Chief Executive, Otunba Joseph Osanipin during a workshop for auto dealers in Lagos on 23/7/26
Members of the largest automotive dealership group in sub-Saharan Africa based in Lagos, the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA), Lagos International Trade Fair complex, have voiced out their disappointment on the official negligence of the giant body by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) in its South-West Zone of the National Sensitization Workshop on the NADDC Dealership Registration Portal, held on Thursday, 23rd July 2026, in Lagos.
In a telephone interview, ASPMDA President, Hon. Ngozi Emechebe told Business Hilights.ng that “Am shocked that we were not invited, but I will find out why from the DG, Otunba Joseph, who is my very good friend on what went wrong or if it was not for us in ASPMDA.”
“I remember our last discussion was that he will visit ASPMDA and that I should advise my members to come up with Auto Business Grant Support Proposals and I have advised my members to start writing their proposals.
Other top dealers in ASPMDA that spoke to our correspondent decried the development, saying if ASPMDA is only remembered during policy decisions and taxes and not during sensitization for business development and government assistance, then, we are not one Nigeria and this omission must be explained and stopped to correct the wrong impression of ‘Elimination by Substitution’.
However, a source at NADDC confided in our correspondent that the workshop was organized for members of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) and others, saying there is not yet any information on that of ASPMDA or when it will take place in Lagos.
But, speaking at the workshop, the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, emphasized that the workshop marks a significant step towards strengthening regulation and advancing the growth of the automotive dealership sub-sector, while describing Lagos as the commercial hub of Nigeria.
Osanipin explained that the Dealership Registration Portal, a key initiative under the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP 2023–2033), will deliver several benefits to the automotive industry.
According to him, the portal will amongst other things:
*Formalize the dealership sub-sector through a centralized, real-time database;
*Improve market monitoring, vehicle verification, and regulatory compliance;
*Connect registered dealers with local vehicle manufacturers and government;
*Enhance dealers’ access to financing by increasing their credibility with financial institutions;
*Grant legal recognition to registered dealerships;
*Promote transparency, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and corruption through digitalization; and
*Support evidence-based policymaking while ensuring equal opportunities for both small and large-scale dealers.
NADDC Chief therefore urged automotive dealers to embrace the portal and the registration process as a strategic partner for business growth rather than a regulatory burden. He noted that registration would strengthen dealers’ participation in national automotive policy development, improve ease of doing business, attract greater investment into the sector, and position Nigeria’s automotive industry for global competitiveness.
He also encouraged participants to actively engage in the technical sessions and complete their registration, stressing that the future of Nigeria’s automotive industry is digital.
The NADDC DG while declaring open the workshop expressed confidence that the initiative will strengthen regulation, improve ease of doing business, enhance transparency, and support the sustainable growth and global competitiveness of Nigeria’s automotive industry.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman, House Committee on Industry, House of Representatives, Hon. Dr. Enitan Dolapo Badru, commended NADDC for introducing the centralized Dealership Registration Portal, defining it as a timely initiative that aligns with the objectives of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP 2023–2033).
Badru who was ably represented by the Clerk of the House Committee on Industry, Bar. (Dr) Usman Ibrahim stated that the portal will strengthen planning, policy formulation, regulatory oversight, and reliable data collection while promoting industrialization, job creation, and economic diversification.
He assured members of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) and other stakeholders of the National Assembly’s continued support, emphasizing that formalizing dealership operations will protect businesses, boost investor confidence, and expand access to credit, insurance, and global business opportunities.
Also speaking, Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, National President of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), applauded NADDC for introducing the Dealership Registration Portal, adding that the portal is a timely initiative that would formalize the dealership sector, enhance the credibility of genuine dealers, improve consumer confidence, and increase access to government support and financing opportunities.
