THE National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has launched the National Automotive Repository Portal (NARP), a digital platform designed to transform the regulation, monitoring and development of the automotive industry through real-time data management and automated compliance processes.
The portal was unveiled Wednesday in Lagos by the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin.
Osanipin, who was represented by the Director/Head of Department, Policy, Planning and Statistics, NADDC, Nuru Sidi Umar, described NARP as the “digital backbone” of the automotive ecosystem, saying the initiative represents a major milestone in the implementation of the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP 2023–2033).
According to him, sustainable industrial growth cannot be achieved without access to accurate, real-time empirical data and effective oversight mechanisms, which informed the development of the platform.
“NARP is far more than an online portal or a repository database; it is the infrastructure designed to drive critical development vectors for our country,” Umar said.
He explained that the platform would simplify and shorten the corporate licensing process for local vehicle assemblers by replacing manual procedures with digital workflows, thereby reducing delays and creating a more business-friendly environment for local manufacturing and supply chain development.
Osanipin added that NARP would provide critical insights into domestic vehicle supply, assembly plant capacities and pricing trends, enabling government and industry stakeholders to make evidence-based policy decisions capable of attracting foreign direct investment into the sector.
He noted that the platform would also strengthen collaboration among regulatory agencies through an automated inter-agency digital infrastructure, ensuring the verification of genuine vehicle technical footprints and protecting local manufacturers from the influx of substandard imports.
“By verifying genuine vehicle technical footprints, we protect our local industries from the influx of substandard imports, validate genuine assembly components, and ensure a competitive level playing field,” he stated.
The NADDC chief executive disclosed that some local assemblers had already been onboarded on the platform, describing the development as a demonstration of the private sector’s readiness to embrace digital transformation.
“With NARP now fully live, registration is moving directly into a rule-based compliance status. Let us utilise this platform to build an inclusive, standard-driven, and highly competitive domestic automotive market that Nigeria can be proud of,” Osanipin said.
Earlier in his welcome address, Umar said the launch marked a significant step towards building a structured, technology-driven and globally competitive automotive industry.
Umar explained that NARP was developed to address longstanding challenges associated with fragmented data collection, manual compliance validation and operational bottlenecks affecting local assembly operations.
He described the portal as the official centralised compliance engine for the automotive sector, noting that it would digitalise assembler licensing, automate factory site evaluations, track technical inspections in real time and create a comprehensive digital footprint for every vehicle through its unique Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
“Through this automated oversight, we are establishing a robust ecosystem where absolute data transparency actively protects genuine investments, eliminates manual processing errors, and strictly standardises manufacturing quality across the entire board,” he said.
Commending NADDC, Board member of Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA), Dr Harpreef Singh said he is happy that the Council created the platform, adding that it will help to advance Nigeria’s automotive industry.
The event was attended by stakeholders in the nation’s automotive sector, including representatives from the Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA), Honda Automobile Western Africa Ltd (HAWA), Kewalram Chanrai Group, Bolous, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Limited, Dangote Group, Nord Motors, Stallion Motors amongst others.
