In a bid to ensure proper documentation of motor dealers for greater value addition in the automotive sector of the economy, the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has intensified efforts to formalise Nigeria’s motor dealership sub-sector through the deployment of its Dealership Registration Portal, designed to enhance transparency, verification, consumer protection, access to financing and evidence-based policymaking within the automotive industry.
The Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, disclosed this in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the Federal Capital Territory edition of the National Sensitisation Workshop on the NADDC Dealership Registration Portal. He said the initiative formed part of the Council’s broader strategy to transform Nigeria’s largely unregulated and fragmented vehicle trading market into a structured and globally competitive automotive industry driven by reliable data and digital governance.
Osanipin explained that inadequate verification, informal operations and limited access to comprehensive market data had created challenges for financial institutions, policymakers, corporate buyers and consumers. According to him, the portal would formalise dealership operations nationwide, authenticate legitimate and tax-compliant dealers, eliminate fraudulent and unaccredited operators, and bridge the verification gap among dealers, commercial banks and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) distributors.
He added that the platform would provide a central digital database for integrating industry information and facilitating collaboration with critical agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service and tax authorities, thereby strengthening vehicle clearance processes, curbing smuggling and addressing the circulation of uncleared vehicles.
The DG stressed that the initiative was neither a tax scheme nor a revenue barrier, but a formalisation framework aimed at protecting verified local investors, strengthening consumer confidence and providing legitimate dealerships with recognised digital identities. He said the initiative aligned with the objectives of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) 2023–2033 and supported the implementation of the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy. According to him, registration would position accredited local vehicle assemblers and their authorised dealership networks to benefit from preferential government procurement and fleet purchases, while a structured dealership database would expand opportunities for institutional financing, OEM partnerships and participation in cross-border trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Also speaking, the Director, Policy, Planning and Statistics (PPS), NADDC, Mr. Umar Nura Sidi, said Abuja’s strategic position as the seat of government, a centre of regulatory coordination and a major hub for corporate and government fleet procurement made the FCT a critical location for the nationwide rollout of the portal. He said the initiative had received strong support from the National Assembly and the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), describing the platform as a digital backbone for a more transparent, organised and accountable automotive market. Sidi noted that previous sensitisation sessions held in Lagos, Awka, Port Harcourt and Kaduna had generated significant stakeholder support, while the Abuja workshop was designed to provide practical onboarding assistance and technical guidance to dealerships across the FCT.
In his remarks the President of AMDON, Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, commended NADDC for initiating the dealership registration and regularisation process, describing it as a significant step towards bringing greater structure, recognition and credibility to the motor dealership sub-sector.
The AMDON President mentioned that motor dealers remained critical stakeholders in the automotive value chain and had over the years advocated stronger government support and regulation of their activities.
Adedoyin particularly appreciated the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, for his resilience, foresight and commitment to addressing longstanding challenges in the sub-sector, while urging all AMDON members and motor dealers nationwide to participate in the ongoing NADDC dealership registration exercise, stressing that formalisation would enhance the credibility, protection and sustainable growth of their businesses.
The speakers collectively enjoined motor dealers and other stakeholders to embrace the portal and take advantage of the opportunities offered by digital formalisation. They jointly emphasized that registration would establish a verified digital identity, enhance the creditworthiness and visibility of dealerships, strengthen consumer confidence and provide government with reliable data for effective policy formulation.
NADDC reaffirmed its commitment to continued collaboration with motor dealers, financial institutions, regulatory agencies and other industry stakeholders to build a technology-driven, transparent and competitive automotive sector, while encouraging dealership owners nationwide to complete their registration and embrace digital compliance as a pathway to a secure, profitable and globally recognised Nigerian automotive marketplace.
