Bennett Oghifo

The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) has announced that the second edition of the Nigeria Auto Industry Summit (NAISU) will

focus on local content development.

This year’s summit with the theme “Nigeria First: Local Content as Catalyst for Automotive Economy”, hold on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Conference Centre in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

It will bring together key stakeholders in government, manufacturing, trade, among others to chart a forward-thinking path for the nation’s automotive industry.

Organised in partnership with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), the Nigeria Association of Automotive Manufacturers (NAMA), and the African Association of Automobile Manufacturers (AAAM), the summit aims to deepen the national conversation around local content integration and the long-term viability of Nigeria’s automotive sector.

It will also dwell on the federal government’s recently launched Nigeria’s First initiative and the buying of the locally assembled automobiles.

The event will be declared open by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, while Joseph Oluwemimo Osanipin, Director-General of the NADDC, will be the Chief Host.

Commenting on the importance of the summit, Mike Ochonma, Chairman of the NAISU Planning Committee, said: “This year’s summit focuses on how local content can drive sustainable industrialisation in Nigeria’s auto sector. 

“We are bringing the right voices together—from regulators and customs officials to local manufacturers and traders—so that policies and actions can align.

“Local content is more than policy; it’s the foundation for job creation, skill transfer, and industrial sovereignty. NAISU 2025 will help unify efforts and challenges to go beyond imported solutions.”

Some of those expected to make presentations at the summit are Chief Anselm Ilekuba, Chairman, Association of Local Content Manufacturers (ALCMAN); Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); Hon. Ngozi Emechebe, President, Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA).

Theodore Opara, Chairman of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), the umbrella body for journalists covering the automotive sector in Nigeria, said,  “As auto journalists, we understand the power of information in shaping national policy. NAISU is our contribution to a better-informed, locally driven auto economy.”

“The future of Nigeria’s auto sector lies in how we leverage our local resources, manpower, and innovation. NAISU offers a platform for strategic collaboration that reflects NAJA’s own mandate to build a resilient automotive ecosystem.

“Local content is more than policy; it’s the foundation for job creation, skill transfer, and industrial sovereignty. NAISU 2025 will help unify efforts and challenges to go beyond imported solutions.”

The 2025 NAISU will feature keynote addresses, panel sessions, and networking engagements centred on how Nigeria can reduce dependency on imported components and increase domestic production capacity.

Issues slated for discussion include: Custom tariff frameworks and local assembly incentives;  Supply chain localization and small-scale manufacturing; Technology transfer and skilled workforce development and Regulatory compliance and standard enforcement.

The Nigeria Auto Industry Summit is fast becoming the premier annual forum for strategic discourse on the automotive future of Africa’s largest economy.

For participation, partnership, or media inquiries, stakeholders are encouraged to contact the NAJA Secretariat or visit the association’s official communication channels.