Coming on the heels of the Federal Government’s declaration that it is going to put an end to importation of automobile spare parts into the country, importers and dealers in the lucrative business have disagreed with the government on the decision, even as they threatened that they will shun any form of local production.
The Federal Government had announced that through this move, it intends to boost local production of vehicle spare parts and to encourage investment package for small and medium Enterprises [SMEs]
Coming on the heels of the Federal Government’s declaration that it is going to put an end to importation of automobile spare parts into the country, importers and dealers in the lucrative business have disagreed with the government on the decision, even as they threatened that they will shun any form of local production.
The Federal Government had announced that through this move, it intends to boost local production of vehicle spare parts and to encourage investment package for small and medium Enterprises [SMEs]
But, some importers of spare parts who spoke with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week, said that Nigerians are not ready to buy new vehicle parts because they believe new parts are substandard and of inferior quality.
An importer, Mazi Anayo Okeke, told our correspondent that even though it is the duty of the government to encourage local manufacturing of spare parts and components, it should however not disturb the importation business of fairly used ones.
He called on government to bring in auto experts from the Toyota and Mercedes Benz to train Nigerian automobile engineers on manufacturing of spare parts instead of relying on government agencies that are half baked in terms of technology to do the job.
According to him, the relevant government agencies that are involved in assisting the technical know-how for the Small and Medium Enterprises wishing to venture into local components can only apply theoretical knowledge; he said that it will be difficult to apply 100% practical knowledge as the country lacks technological apparatus.
‘’The government agencies that will provide technical assistance to these entrepreneurs can only give them the classroom knowledge and not the workshop or practical knowledge. The financial assistance the government said they will give to the entrepreneurs is only seen on papers and the few people that will benefit from the initiatives are those that have something in common with the officials involved in the project’’ Okeke said
He said: ‘’how many people or organization will gain from this government initiative and satisfy the yearnings of vehicle gears in the country? It is better for the government to invest in the area of automobile plants in the country instead of establishing what they cannot account for at the end of the day ‘’
Okeke stated that it is only fairly used parts that are mostly patronized by mechanics and buyers in the automobile spare parts market in the country, noting that the new gears from Asia are of sub standard and people shy away from such parts as a result of short life span.
He urged the federal government to concentrate on the area of manufacturing of vehicles in the country as it will boost the nations’ economy and also to provide employment for Nigerians.
On his part, Managing Director, Techno Import and Export, Chief Arinze Nnanna affirmed that it is important to encourage government initiative but Nigerians will not patronize the production of spare parts in to the country compared to the ones from China and Malaysia.
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