No Plan To Ban Tokunbo Vehicles Says FG

The Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council, Alhaji Aminu Jalal, said on Wednesday in Kaduna that the Federal Government has no plan to ban the importation of fairly used vehicles, otherwise known as Tokunbo, into the country.

The Director-General said the council would strictly implement the Federal Government’s industrial development plan policy, which would boost local manufacturing of vehicles in the country.

Jalal, who claimed that the ban on fairly used cars had never been effective in any country, added that government policies would force down the influx of used cars into the country.

One of such policies, Jalal said, was government’s approval of the mandatory patronage of made in Nigeria vehicles to boost local automobile industries.

Speaking at the commencement of assessors and verifiers’ training by the National Board for Technical Education in Kaduna, the DG said when the national automotive industrialisation development plan was strictly implemented, the importation of fairly used vehicles (tokumbo) in the country would reduce.

Jalal was represented by his Director of Infrastructure, Abdulwaheed Adetoro, at the event.

He added that the council’s mandate to ensure the sustainable development of the automotive industry in the country, using local human and material resources, would be sustained.

He stated, “Right now, the automotive council has taken cognisance of the need to promote and boost market particularly for local manufacturers; there must be enough market for them to sell. This will force the importation of vehicles to come down.

“That is why government has approved the mandatory patronage of local goods, especially vehicles in the country. When the states key into the mandatory patronage of vehicles, the influx of Tokunbo vehicles will reduce in Nigeria.

“The council is also collaborating with West Bank of South Africa to inject more money into vehicles finance scheme and that will encourage manufacturing of local vehicles, which will increase local volume of vehicles.

“Internal market will be created for local vehicles. If you use your vehicle for two or three years and you want a new one, the current value of the vehicle will be ascertained and you will take it to the assembly plants and they will change it for you. With this, gradually, Tokunbo vehicles will be phased out”