NADDC Launches Digital Automotive Portal To Boost Regulation, Investment In Nigeria’s Auto Industry

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has launched the National Automotive Repository Portal (NARP), a digital platform designed to improve regulation, strengthen data management and enhance ease of doing business across Nigeria's automotive industry.

The portal was unveiled on Wednesday during a stakeholders event held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.

Speaking at the launch, the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Osanipin, who was represented by the Council's Head of Policy, Planning and Statistics, Mr. Nura Sidi, described the platform as the digital backbone of Nigeria's automotive ecosystem.

He said the initiative represents a major milestone in implementing the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) 2023–2033, which seeks to strengthen local vehicle manufacturing and position Nigeria as a competitive automotive hub.

According to him, the portal was developed to address the long-standing challenge of fragmented industry data by providing a centralised digital infrastructure that supports real-time information management, regulatory oversight and compliance.

"NARP provides a unified digital platform that will improve industry coordination, strengthen regulatory compliance and support informed decision-making across the automotive value chain," he said.

Osanipin explained that the new platform will digitalise and streamline corporate licensing processes for vehicle assemblers, reducing delays associated with manual procedures while improving transparency.

He said the portal will also provide real-time insights into domestic vehicle assembly capacity, supply trends and market pricing, giving policymakers and investors access to more reliable industry data.

According to him, the availability of accurate information will support evidence-based policymaking, attract foreign direct investment and strengthen Nigeria's automotive value chain.

The Director-General further disclosed that NARP establishes an automated digital infrastructure linking key government regulatory agencies to facilitate verification of vehicle technical information and authenticate genuine assembly components.

He noted that the platform is also expected to help curb the influx of substandard automotive products into the Nigerian market.

The Council said several licensed vehicle assemblers have already been onboarded onto the platform, describing the development as evidence of the private sector's readiness to embrace digital transformation.

Osanipin expressed appreciation to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment for providing strategic policy direction and commended local vehicle manufacturers for their continued investment in the country's automotive industry.

He urged all stakeholders to adopt NARP as the official rule-based compliance platform for the sector.

Providing further details, Mr. Nura Sidi said the platform was specifically developed to eliminate operational bottlenecks associated with fragmented data collection and manual compliance procedures.

According to him, NARP functions as a centralised compliance engine that digitalises assembler licensing, automates factory site evaluations, enables real-time monitoring of technical inspections and maintains secure digital records of every registered vehicle through its unique Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

He stressed that the platform goes beyond administrative functions and should be viewed as strategic public infrastructure designed to simplify regulatory processes, improve transparency, reduce bureaucracy and promote a more competitive automotive industry.

Sidi encouraged stakeholders to actively participate in the onboarding process and technical demonstrations, describing the launch as the beginning of a new era of digital transformation for Nigeria's automotive sector.

The event attracted representatives of licensed vehicle assembly plants and other stakeholders across the automotive industry.

According to NADDC, the launch of the National Automotive Repository Portal represents another step towards building a structured, technology-driven and globally competitive automotive industry capable of supporting local manufacturing, improving investor confidence and driving sustainable sectoral growth.