A prophet is not without honour,” goes that famous Biblical quote, “except in his own country, among his own people”. If we were to apply this quote to Nigerian-made autos, it would even sound grimmer: for while they are shunned at home, they lack the capacity to compete abroad. So, unlike the prophet honoured abroad, the Nigerian auto is shunned both home and abroad.
But with this negative home market mindset by Nigerians, how are these sectors supposed to grow, mature and expand, create jobs and deliver value, that would strengthen the local economy? That is why the Federal Government’s directive to its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to patronise Made-in-Nigeria vehicles could not have come at a better time.
Yet, such admonitions are hardly novel. Recall the halcyon days when the pair of Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria (PAN) and Volkswagen of Nigeria (VON) had a near vice-hold of the Sedan segment of the Nigerian auto market. Aside from households and firms that bought their products as pool and official cars, the federal and state governments were their major clients, giving them bulk business. But that model worked because the very apex of government led the way.
Back then, particularly during Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo’s austerity times as military head of state, Peugeot was the official State House vehicle. So, was it for the military, the police and other security agencies. But the advent of the Second Republic, under President Shehu Shagari, with the influx of exotic and expensive cars into the State House fleet, changed all that. Between then and now, not much has changed.
The other side of the story is, of course, the business folly of players that enjoy captive markets. Consumers started complaining about the relative lack of quality, when Nigerian-made cars are compared with their counterparts, even if the two cars are of the same brand.
But the local manufacturers too had — and still have— their own tales of woe: high costs of vital support infrastructure like power, high cost of money and an unstable policy environment. Then, there was the problem of foreign exchange to import key raw components like completely knocked down (CKD) parts. All these made the products uncompetitive, both in price and in quality.
So, inasmuch as it is imperative that Nigerians patronise locally made cars, it is no less imperative that a Nigerian Standard (NS) specification is achieved — a standard not lower than other competitors globally, even with the rudimentary stage of the sector. It is that investment in value that may help to tie down the market and wean Nigerians from ruinous obsession with anything foreign.
Still, the starting point in all of these is the government’s disposition. At the highest level, the governments, led by the Federal Government, should make it an official policy that the highest officials in the land patronise these auto makers. States that also kit the police with logistics can buy in bulk from these local makers.
Such a policy would pave the way for the real Nigerian-made car. Who knows? If India can showcase TATA to the rest of the world, why can’t Nigeria showcase its own car one day?
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