FG bans import of vehicles without certification

FG bans import of vehicles without certification

The Federal Government on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping regulatory regime that will bar all imported vehicles from entering Nigeria without prior certification, in a move aimed at improving road safety and curbing the influx of substandard automobiles.

The policy, tagged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria–National Automotive Design and Development Council Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme, introduces a strict “no certification, no entry” rule for all new and used vehicles entering the country.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop in Abuja, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh, said the programme is now a full government policy and not a pilot scheme.

“I want to clarify again that this is not a proposal or a pilot. This has become government policy and takes immediate effect upon commencement,” he said.

According to him, under the new regime, all vehicles must obtain pre-shipment certification before they can be processed for importation into Nigeria.

“So the endorsement integrates vehicle safety into Nigeria’s economic policy framework. It aligns fiscal instruments, foreign exchange import financing, and revenue systems with safety and standards objectives. It also strengthens the long-standing work of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria and NADDC within a coordinated whole-of-government approach. And I think that with effect from the commencement of this SON-NADDC VehCAP, all new and used vehicles and automotive products entering Nigeria must obtain pre-shipment certification on that VehCAP before form M approval, before customs valuation, before power processing, before import clearance, and before market entry,” he stated.

Enoh stressed that any vehicle that fails to meet the requirements would be denied entry into the country.

“No vehicle or automotive product shall be imported, cleared, registered or licensed without valid certification. Any non-compliant import shall be subject to refusal of clearance, seizure, or sanctions under applicable laws,” he added.

The minister, however, acknowledged concerns around calls to ban used vehicles, popularly known as “Tokunbo,” urging a balanced approach.

“I think that without taking an extreme position, we must find a middle ground. There are economic challenges, there is purchasing power, and there is also the capacity of local assemblers to meet demand.

“But at the very minimum, if we adhere strictly to existing regulations, such as limits on the age of imported vehicles, our problem will not be nearly as bad as it is,” he said.

He described the programme as a response to rising road accidents linked to substandard vehicles.

“We did not arrive here by accident. Too many Nigerians have died from accidents caused by vehicles that fell short of required standards. Nigeria deserves better, and this government is determined to deliver better,” he added.

Enoh said the implementation of the programme would involve multiple agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Nigerian Ports Authority.

He explained that the Customs Service would ensure that no vehicle is cleared without certification, while the CBN would align foreign exchange approvals with compliance requirements.

“For Customs, no vehicle should proceed to clearance without a valid certificate. Non-compliant consignments must be detained or re-exported.

“For the CBN, import financing instruments must be conditional on valid certification. These institutions control both the physical and financial gateways of importation,” he said.

He added that the FRSC would integrate certification into vehicle registration and enforcement systems, while state governments must ensure that non-compliant vehicles are not registered.

“A vehicle that is non-compliant at the federal level must not be registered at the state level. For the FCCPC, you are expected to treat VehCAP certification as a baseline for consumer protection enforcement for vehicles. State governments, because we run a federation with federal units, state governments are expected to align vehicle registration systems with VehCAP requirements. Most importantly, let me acknowledge the very profound role that was played by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, for approving the VehCAP initiative,” he warned.

The minister urged Nigerians not to see the policy as an additional burden but as a necessary intervention to save lives and strengthen the economy.

He also linked the initiative to the industrialisation agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that it aligns with broader efforts to improve product standards and protect consumers.

“As Nigerians, because of the circumstances that we face, almost every move that is made by the government, the citizens tend to misunderstand it, without looking at the real essence of that. Last week, the ministry signed a concession agreement on product authentication and tracking systems. People must appreciate what that concession tries to kill in terms of fake and adulterated products that have killed millions and millions of people.

“As we launch this program today, it’s important that people are concerned more with the safety necessity and with what it attempts to kill than with how much economic hurt it brings to the citizenry. It’s very important. So this should not be seen as a burden, but as a corrective measure.

“For the several years that we have continued to live and to exist and to accommodate all of this that is supposed to have been controlled in the first instance. We didn’t arrive at this by accident. We arrived here because too many of our fellow Nigerians have died in accidents caused by vehicles that fell short of Nigeria’s required standards, gaps that some CAP had addressed in part and which the CAP now comprehensively closes. And I believe that the authority structure is clear. The need is urgent. What remains is for us to execute it. Let us act, therefore, in unison to protect the Nigerian people,” he said.

Earlier, the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Joseph Osanipin, said the programme represents a shift from post-import inspection to pre-entry verification.

“VehCAP shifts our system from ‘inspect after arrival’ to ‘verify before entry.’ Once a substandard vehicle enters the country, the cost of control, both economic and human, becomes significantly higher,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria’s automotive market, one of the largest in Africa, has long been challenged by the influx of poorly verified used vehicles.

“Many vehicles enter without adequate checks on safety condition, emissions performance, and lifecycle history. This has led to mechanical failures, increased accident severity, and circulation of substandard components,” he added.

The Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said the initiative would strengthen regulatory oversight and improve consumer protection.

“The programme introduces a more structured, preventive, and standards-driven approach. It ensures that only products that meet established requirements are allowed into circulation,” he said.

He added that the new framework would enhance transparency, promote fair competition, and support Nigeria’s industrial growth.

The VehCAP programme builds on the existing SON Conformity Assessment Programme but introduces a sector-specific framework tailored to the complexities of the automotive industry.

Under the new system, vehicles will be assessed and certified in their country of export before shipment to Nigeria.

The policy is expected to improve road safety, reduce environmental risks, protect consumers, and create a more competitive environment for local automotive assembly.

The government maintained that the success of the initiative would depend on strong inter-agency collaboration and strict enforcement, as it seeks to sanitise Nigeria’s vehicle import system and align it with global best practices.