THE dwindling sales of automobiles in Nigeria have continued to be a thing of huge concern to auto firms in the country thereby causing undue hardship to automobile industries in the country.
In a submission Group Managing Director of Kia Motors Nigeria, Jacky Hathiramani, he posited that the impact of the country’s business environment, operational overheads and recent economic recession have taken a great toll in the growth trajectory of the automobile industry, however, he expressed hope in the current administration and their doggedness in sustaining the auto policy for a guaranteed industrialization of the economy vis-à-vis local production of automobiles in the country.
According to Jacky, “as a player in the automobile industry, we are not oblivious of the challenges inhibiting local productions and the full realisation of the gains of the auto policy. We believe that despite these daunting challenges, the government’s favourable disposition towards repositioning the auto industry at the centre of local production and Nigeria’s industrialisation is laudable”
He also applauded the appointment of Mr. Jelil Aliyu as the Director General of National Automobile Development and Design Council, describing it as the right peg in the right hole.
Jacky also said that with the federal government’s support, the auto industry will be set on the path of sustainable development.
In his words he said, “The current appointment of Mr Jelil Aliyu as the Director General of National Automobile Development and Design Council is a commendable one. As he is the best fit for the job following his local and international experience in the automobile industry, pointedly put, he’s a right peg in a right hole. With the new order in the council and the federal government’s support, the auto industry will be set on a path of sustainable growth. I want to sue this opportunity to urge the government to increase patronage of the locally produced vehicles thereby demonstrating their commitment to supporting made in Nigeria cars. Local production as remained a major index for the economic development and with the current dogged call by the federal government for the diversification of the economy, the auto industry is one of the driving sectors that can put Nigeria on the global map as one of the industrialised economies in the world over. It’s imperative that the government continue to lend its support to the industry by implementing the auto policy and a conducive business environment to foster the development of the economy through automobile manufacturing” he concluded.
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