The National Automotive Design and Development Council has introduced a National Vehicle Dealership Registration Framework for car dealers, marking a major step to reform Nigeria’s automotive market, enhance traceability, and improve access to financing for industry players.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja on Friday, establishes a digital system that requires all car dealers to register and obtain a certificate subject to annual renewal.
Speaking at the launch, the Director General of NADDC, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said the framework represents a shift from policy formulation to execution under the National Automotive Industry Development Plan 2023–2033.
Osanipin explained that the system was designed following extensive consultations with stakeholders across Uyo, Lagos, Kano, and Bauchi, where members of the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeriacalled for improved transparency, fairness, and recognition of legitimate operators over informal participants.
According to him, the registration process goes beyond compliance, as it will enable dealers to access credit facilities, benefit from market protection, and become part of a more structured automotive ecosystem.
“This framework is not merely an administrative milestone; it is the day we transition from planning to practice. By registering your dealership, you are doing more than fulfilling a requirement; you are positioning your business to benefit from credit support, market protection and inclusion in a structured automotive ecosystem,” he said.
He further stated that the platform would function as a comprehensive digital database, capturing dealer identities, vehicle transactions, and supply chains. This, he noted, would assist authorities in tracking stolen vehicles and protecting buyers from fraudulent operators.
Osanipin also revealed that the Federal Government would prioritise patronage of AMDON-certified dealers in line with the Nigeria First policy, while also strengthening the country’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Additionally, he explained that registered dealers would be connected with vehicle assemblers nationwide to foster partnerships in after-sales services, ensuring consistent maintenance support across the industry.
In his remarks, the National President of AMDON, Ajibola Adedoyin, said the registration initiative would help tackle insecurity linked to untraceable vehicles while also improving access to financing for dealers through increased transparency and credibility.
He encouraged consumers to transact only with certified dealers and projected that within three to six months, most dealers would be onboarded. He added that enforcement measures would be strengthened afterward, restricting market access for operators who fail to comply.
What you should know
The National Automotive Design and Development Council has launched a mandatory registration framework for car dealers in Nigeria to improve transparency, traceability, and access to financing.
The digital system requires dealers to obtain annually renewable certification and aims to reduce fraud, track stolen vehicles, and formalise the auto market.
The initiative also aligns with the Nigeria First policy, with government patronage limited to certified dealers. Stakeholders expect most dealers to register within six months, after which stricter enforcement will begin.
The reform is part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s automotive industry under a long-term development plan.
