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PAN Seeks Reversal Of Reviewed Tariff On Imported Vehicles
By Ebriku John Friday
A vehicle assembling giant, PAN Nigeria Limited, Tuesday, called on the Federal Government to reverse reviewed tariff on vehicle importation.
The demand was made at press conference held in Abuja, where the Chairman, PAN Nigeria Limited, Hon Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, in an address accused the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), for allegedly misleading the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, against the automobile assembly plant owners in the country.
Aliyu further stated that the CG gave wrong statistics to the Minister about the automobile industry, which got the nod of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, to go on with tariff review on importation used vehicles to flood the country and endanger human and environmental lives.
He added that the tariff review was smuggled into the 2020 Finance Bill, and described tariff reduction as policy somersault.
According to him many assembly plants operators are jittery with the policy following over N100 billion loan owed to local commercial banks as working capital to be in business and keep the industry running.
He expressed worry over the domino effect it will have on the automotive industry and described it as frightening if not promptly reversed.
And also warned that Nigeria will soon become a worst dumping ground for all kinds of vehicles in the sub-region, and would lead to massive lay-off of employees in the industry if the needful is not done.
He said: “The Comptroller General of Customs intends to flood Nigeria with Tokunbo used vehicles and ensure the closure of all assembly plants whereas the plants have out in place a car financing scheme for Nigerians to own brand new vehicles at affordable rates.
“The Comptroller General has misled the Honourable Minister of Finance with wrong statistics about the automotive industry and subsequently got the Federal Executive Council’s approval for tariff review on the importation of vehicles.
“The action of the Comptroller General is a clear flagrant abuse of the direct access that he has to Mr President.
“We are appealing to Mr President to reverse this review immediately because the effects include tokunbo importers will flood the country with all manner of old and obsolete vehicles; Nigeria will become a dumping ground for all manner of vehicles such as cars, buses, trucks, and others; Nigeria will not be able to compete in the AfCTA trade in the region; Imminent closure of 54 assembly plants in Nigeria with a total capacity of 417, 690 units per annum and loss of 6, 000 jobs; All the investments made over the years by these local assembly plants in excess of over $1 billion imminently goes to waste; All gains made by NAIDP in the past seven years will be rolled back; All local assembly plants will not be able to compete and eventual shut down; and there will be added pressure on scarce foreign exchange reserves.”
He also expressed dismay with the action of government as the Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association, NAMA, discovered that a tariff had been inserted in the 2020 Finance Bill, a meeting was called by the office of the Vice President in which NAMA was in attendance, where it was agreed at that meeting that NAMA should put up a comprehensive presentation on the needs of the Automotive Manufacturers with regards to capacity for effective performance.
“We have been shocked to learn that the 2020 Finance Bill had been approved.
“The reasons adduced by the sponsors of this bill (Comptroller General of Customs) for this tariff review are listed as follows; Inadequate capacity of local automobile assemblers to meet demands of consumers, which is absolutely wrong because our combined capacity is over 500, 000 with over 4, 000 Number of employees in direct employment and about 2, 000 employed within the value chain in addition to a combined total investment of over $1 billion. As a matter of fact, the problem of the automotive sector is not of production capacity but of excess capacity.
“Diversion of vehicles to other countries instead of Nigerian market; The sponsors of this bill did not state that the logistics challenges that have always been witnessed at Nigerian ports has encouraged this diversion.
“High transportation costs; rather than reduce duty on vehicle importation to reduce transport costs, the government should seek ways of providing mass transit schemes across the 36 States so that each State will be encouraged and supported with incentives to set up such schemes; furthermore, the government should increase the demand for locally assembled mini and city buses by the launching of a low-cost vehicle asset acquisition fund under the control of the Nigeria Automotive Development Council, NADDC. With such a progressive move, haulage bus and truck owners will readily re-fleet to better serve the masses,; the government should seek ways of reducing bureaucracy, eliminate bottlenecks and extortion at the ports.
“We categorically stated that this tariff review will become more detrimental if the long-term competitiveness that the automotive industry must achieve if it is to play any dominant role in Africa Continental Free Trade Area, AfCTA, and eventually lead to total collapse of the Nigerian Automotive industry thereby positioning Ghana as the ne hub of automotive activities within the ECOWAS sub-region within a few years”, he stated.
He further disclosed that, in 2020 the country imported used vehicles and motorcycles valued at N1.28 trillion.
“It means in 2021 Nigeria is likely to go berserk and triple the amount to N3 trillion. 40 per cent of the budget on importation of all manner of used vehicles is direct consequences of the tariff reduction.
“We strongly believe that the Comptroller General succumbed to the bobby of ‘tokunbo’ dealers who are glorified car dealers with no matching investments in local vehicle assembly”, he added.
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NDDC At 25: Cross River’s Cynthia Oloko, 19, Emerges Second Place Winner At Miss Niger Delta 2025
...Deputy Governor, APC Chairman, and Senators Celebrate Her with Generous Cash Gifts
Miss Cynthia Iyowogoga Oloko, a 19-year-old from Cross River State, has emerged as the first runner-up (second place) at the Miss Niger Delta 2025 beauty pageant. The event, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was part of the 25th Anniversary celebrations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Cynthia, a final-year student of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where she studies Human Anatomy, competed alongside nine other contestants representing the nine states of the Niger Delta—Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers.
Crowned with the title “Pride of the Niger Delta”, Cynthia received a cash prize of ₦7.5 million for placing second in the pageant.
In recognition of her achievement and the pride she has brought to Cross River State, several political leaders and dignitaries extended their support. The Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Dr Peter Odey, gifted her ₦3 million, the APC State Chairman, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, Esq., JP, contributed ₦1 million, while the state’s two Senators jointly supported her with another ₦3 million—bringing her total cash reward to ₦14.5 million.
According to the organisers, all nine contestants underwent intensive training and were empowered with skills and starter kits to help them become self-reliant and impactful in their communities.
The Miss Niger Delta pageant is designed not just as a beauty contest, but as a platform to empower young women across the region. It aims to nurture leadership, entrepreneurship, and community development among participants. The initiative is rooted in the belief that empowering women is key to building stronger families, communities, and society at large.
Many past participants have gone on to become successful entrepreneurs and community leaders. The programme, sponsored by the NDDC, is part of its commitment to identifying and nurturing young talents in the region.
This year’s overall winner received a brand-new car and ₦10 million, while the second runner-up (third place) received ₦5 million. The remaining six contestants each received ₦1 million as a consolation prize.
Miss Cynthia Oloko was born in 2005 to Engr. and Mrs Cosmas Oloko Ekawu. She attended Trailblazers Academy in Gwarinpa, Abuja. Her hobbies include swimming, running, networking, and travelling. She aspires to build a career in entrepreneurship and politics, with a strong passion for leadership and community development.
Congratulations Miss Cynthia
The Chairman of Yala Local Government Area, Cross River State, Hon Dr Fred Okem has dissolved all revenue agencies operating in the Council with effect from 31st December 2024.
Hon Dr Fred Okem, Chairman Yala Local Government Area
This was contained in a release on Monday 6th January 2025 by the Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Unah.
The Chairman also cautioned that anyone who flouts the directive would be handed over to the security agencies for proper action in line with relevant laws.
The local government helmsman is expected to reposition the revenue agencies with the aim of boosting internally generated revenue in the council for adequate measures towards the development of Yala in line with the People First Agenda of the State government.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, Ms. Grace Ike, has been named Nigeria’s Media Personality of the Year 2024. This prestigious recognition was conferred by the Editorial Board of Good Governance Today Nigeria at a grand ceremony held at the National Merit House, Abuja.
NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike
In addition to the honour, Ms. Ike was inducted into the Good Governance Today Nigeria Hall of Fame—a testament to her exemplary contributions to leadership and professional journalism in Nigeria.
The award acknowledges Ms. Ike’s uncommon leadership qualities and her unwavering commitment to advancing journalism as a tool for national development. Her selfless service to humanity, her state and the nation has made her a beacon of hope and inspiration for many.
Speaking at the event, the organiser and the managing editor of Governance Today , mr Sylvester Abudu Omose commended Ms. Ike’s visionary leadership and her remarkable strides in reshaping the landscape of journalism in Nigeria. Her relentless dedication to using journalism to advocate for transparency, justice, and public enlightenment was described as both inspiring and transformative.
“Ms. Grace Ike’s achievements transcend the ordinary. She has redefined what it means to serve humanity through journalism. Her work exemplifies the power of the media in fostering societal progress and governance,” the board stated.
In her acceptance speech, Ms. Ike represented by one of her media aides, mr Ademola Adepoju expressed her gratitude for the recognition and attributed her success to the collective efforts of her team at NUJ FCT Council and the support of stakeholders in the journalism community. She reiterated her commitment to promoting ethical journalism and upholding the values of truth, accountability, and service to humanity.
“This award is not just a recognition of my efforts but a call to do even more. Journalism is the lifeline of democracy, and we must continue to use it to uphold justice and transparency for the betterment of our society,” Ms. Ike remarked.
The event was attended by dignitaries from the media, government and civil society, who lauded Ms. Ike’s achievements and pledged continued support for initiatives that promote good governance and ethical journalism in Nigeria.
As Ms. Grace Ike steps into the Good Governance Today Nigeria Hall of Fame, her legacy as a leader, journalist, and advocate for humanity continues to inspire a new generation of professionals committed to making a difference in their communities and the nation at large.
