The Director General, Standards Organization of Nigeria, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, disclosed this while speaking shortly after the signing of an agreement for the implementation of the conformity to standards of used vehicles.
He said the move was part of efforts aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of the new automobile policy in the country.
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He said since the federal government had decided to make the automobile industry a key component of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, the sector had been identified as a strategic industry group.
This, he added, is due to its large domestic market, labour intensive characteristics, strong industrial linkages, existing installed base and export potentials into the ECOWAS market.
He said that out of the over 2,000 parts that make up a typical car, governments mandate only about 120 safety and environmental standards.
This, he added, calls for the need to institute a regime that would ensure the effective enforcement of these standards and monitor their compliance.
The SON DG said, “While some measures of progress have been recorded in the fight against the scourge of low quality imports to Nigeria over the years, there is general consensus that absence of a regime to determine the quality of used motor vehicles imported in Nigeria has not achieved the desired effect.
“It has resulted in the situation where many vehicles that have exceeded their permissible and useful life span continue to dominate the motor vehicle imports into the country.
“This has almost make Nigeria to become a dumping ground for substandard vehicle because the focus since the inception of SON conformity Assessment Program has been skewed in Favour of products other than motor vehicles and other heavy duty equipment.
“We have decided that as part of the SONCAP regime, a separate pre-shipment verification of conformity to standard on used vehicles be implemented by the organization.”
To ensure an effective implementation of the program, Odumodu said three companies have been accredited by SON.
They are Quality Assurance Projects Ltd, Medtech Scientific Ltd and Cotecna Destination Inspection Ltd.
The accreditation, according to him would cover vehicle structural, mechanical and safety inspection; vehicle emission testing; valuation and appraisals of vehicles; vehicle odometer inspection and verification and regulatory documentation, verification and authentication.
Also speaking, the Director General, National Automotive Council, Eng Aminu Jalal said the program would help redefine how cars are imported into the country.
“We want to sanitize the sector to make sure that only safe vehicles are imported into Nigeria,” he added.
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