VehCAP: Nigeria bans importation of vehicles without certification, states penalties

*Senator John Owan Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, declares under the SON–NADDC Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme, ‘no vehicle or automotive product shall be imported, cleared, or shall be registered or licensed without valid VehCAP certification, and any non-compliant import shall be subject to refusal of clearance, seizure or sanctions under applicable laws’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Citing consumers’ safety concerns, structural integrity and emissions, the Nigerian Government has introduced a new vehicle conformity regime designed to discourage unsafe and substandard automobile imports.

ConsumerConnect reports the government said henceforth no vehicle would be allowed into the country without requisite certification under the SON–NADDC Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme (VehCAP).

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The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (ITI) in collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), jointly launched the new-fangled initiative Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop, in Abuja, FCT.

Speaking on the new development in the automobile imports industry at the event, Senator John Owan Enoh, Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, said the programme represented a paradigm shift from what he described as the hitherto fragmented regulation to a coordinated, whole-of-government approach that integrates safety into economic policy and import control systems.

Acknowledging that calls to ban used vehicles have persisted in the economy over time, Senator Enoh noted the government instead, is pursuing a balanced policy that considers Nigerian consumers’ purchasing power with the need to enforce standards and support local automotive development.

New government policy takes immediate effect: Senator Enoh

“All new and used vehicles and automotive products entering Nigeria must obtain pre-shipment certification on VehCAP before approval, customs valuation, power processing, import clearance, and before market entry.

“It is important that getting the SON-NADDC VehCAP certification takes precedence before the various other issues are looked into,” stated the Minister.

He also said: “No vehicle or automotive product shall be imported, cleared, or shall be registered or licensed without valid VehCAP certification. And any non-compliant import shall be subject to refusal of clearance, seizure or sanctions under applicable laws.

“I mean, this is not a proposal or a pilot. This has become government policy and takes immediate effect upon commencement.”

Enoh further emphasised that the new vehicle imports policy would be enforced across agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Speaking at the forum also, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, Director-General of SON, described VehCAP as a major step in strengthening regulatory oversight in the automotive sector through a preventive and standards-driven system.

SON Director-General: VehCAP is a collaborative framework

Dr. Okeke said: “VehCAP has, therefore, been conceived as a collaborative framework between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Automotive Design and Development Council, bringing together complementary regulatory mandates to deliver a more coordinated and effective approach to automotive conformity assessment.”

The Director-General of SON explained that the programme would promote compliance, support legitimate trade, and improve consumer confidence, and create a more predictable operating environment for industry players.

Otunba Joseph Osanipin Director-General of NADDC likewise said the programme addresses longstanding gaps in vehicle import verification, particularly in regard to consumers’ safety, structural integrity, and emissions in the environment.

Osanipin especially noted that a large proportion of vehicles imported into Nigeria lack proper assessment, thereby contributing to road accidents, mechanical failures, and the circulation of substandard car components.

The NADDC Chief Executive averred: “VehCAP shifts our system from ‘Inspect after arrival’ to ‘Verify before entry.’

“Because once a substandard vehicle enters the country, the cost of control both economic and human becomes significantly higher.”

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