Local Motorcycle Manufacturers Accuse Government Officials of Neglect

The Motorcycle Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) has accused government officials of neglecting local motorcycle makers. The association plans to write a formal appeal to the National Assembly to urge lawmakers to patronize locally assembled motorcycles for constituency projects.

Chairman of MOMAN, Lambert Ekewuba, lamented that despite the existence of a longstanding policy mandating government ministries, departments, and agencies to patronize local manufacturers, lawmakers and government officials continue to flout it by importing motorcycles through private dealers.

Ekewuba noted that local assemblers continue to lose contracts worth hundreds of millions of naira to individual contractors and unregistered mechanics who import motorcycles and couple them informally.

The association chairman alleged that lawmakers were sidestepping the system by applying to the Ministry of Finance for duty waivers to import motorcycles under the guise of empowerment, directly contravening the procurement policy.

In 2017, the government signed Executive Order 003, mandating all Federal Government ministries, departments, and agencies to grant preference to local manufacturers in their procurement of goods and services.

Recently, President Bola Tinubu approved the 'Nigeria First' procurement policy. The Senate is also considering new legislation to bolster the automotive sector.

Ekewuba stressed that Nigeria does not lack procurement laws but has a problem with implementing them. He decried the lack of punitive measures for violations, arguing that enforcement by agencies must align with the automotive policy.

The association chairman emphasized that motorcycle assembly is not the same as motorcycle repair, warning against the trend amongst government officials hiring untrained roadside technicians to assemble imported motorcycles for constituency programs.

Ekewuba urged the National Assembly to buy motorcycles from local assemblers, arguing that increased local patronage would create massive employment opportunities across the country.