Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, Tuesday, declared that going forward, no vehicle or related products will be imported or cleared into the country without proper certification.

Enoh said non-compliant imports will be subject to sanctions, including denial of clearance.

He spoke at the opening of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies Stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on the SON-NADDC Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme (SON-NADDCVehCAP) in Abuja.

Enoh, while unveiling the SON-NADDCVehCAP certification logo, said, “Let me be clear: this is not merely a proposal. It is government policy. This is a firm directive aimed at ensuring standards and protecting consumers.”

Essentially, VehCAP is a unified regulatory framework that offers authoritative guidance on vehicle and component safety standards, and acts as a pre-shipment verification scheme, regulating the importation of vehicles and auto parts into the country.

It seeks to address issues around products’ quality and safety, among others.

The minister said, “This initiative is not just about regulation—it is about safety, economic policy, and technological advancement. The alignment of fiscal instruments will be critical to its success. We must see this as a collective responsibility.

“Too often, government actions are misunderstood or resisted due to lack of clarity. It is important that stakeholders fully understand the purpose and benefits of this programme.

“At its core, this is about protecting lives. Many road accidents in our country are caused by substandard and non-compliant vehicles.

“This programme seeks to address that. It is also about improving data, strengthening institutions, and ensuring accountability.”

Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Oluwemimo Osanipin, said the initiative was not just another regulatory intervention but a “necessary shift in how vehicles enter, operate, and ultimately impact our country”.

Osanipin said, “Nigeria today operates one of the largest automotive markets in Africa. However, the structure of that market presents a serious concern.

“A significant proportion of vehicles imported into Nigeria-particularly used vehicles-enter without adequate verification of structural integrity, safety condition, emissions performance, and lifecycle history.

“The consequences are evident: vehicles of uncertain condition are introduced into active road use; mechanical failures contribute to accident severity; substandard components circulate within the system, and our local automotive industry is placed at a disadvantage. This is the reality we must confront and decisively address.”

Osanipin pointed out that while the SONCAP regime, implemented by Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), had significantly improved the quality of imported products across multiple sectors, “We jointly (NADDC & SON) acknowledged that the automotive sector requires a more specialisedapproach. Vehicles are not static products-they are complex, high-risk systems. Their safety depends not only on how they were manufactured, but also on how they have been used, maintained, and exposed over time.”

He added, “This is where VehCAP becomes critical; the SON-NADDC Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme introduces a more targeted, sector-specific framework by ensuring that vehicles are assessed before shipment; compliance is verified against automotive-specific standards; certification becomes a mandatory condition for entry into Nigeria.

“In simple terms, VehCAP shifts our system from inspect after arrival to verify before entry. Because once a substandard vehicle enters the country, the cost of control-both economic and human-becomes significantly higher.”

Osanipin said the workshop, with the theme, “Certified Automobile Products: Safer Nigerian Roads,” aimed to sensitise MDAs to understand the VehCAPframework, align their procurement processes accordingly, and support implementation through coordinated institutional action, among others.

Director-General/Chief Executive, SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, said the initiative marked a significant step in strengthening regulatory oversight within Nigeria’s automotive sector.

Okeke stated that the move reflected a deliberate shift towards a more structured, preventive, and standards-driven approach to addressing long-standing concerns associated with the quality and safety of vehicles and automotive components in our market.

Okeke said, “Over time, the impact of substandard and non-compliant products has extended beyond technical deficiencies to broader implications for road safety, consumer protection, and public confidence.

“These challenges underscore the need for a system that not only responds to infractions, but proactively ensures that only products meeting established requirements are allowed into circulation.”

He said, “VehCAP has therefore been conceived as a collaborative framework between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Automotive Design and Development Council, bringing together complementary regulatory mandates to deliver a more coordinated and effective approach to automotive conformity assessment.” (Arise News)

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