WorldStage— Nigeria’s House of Representatives has tasked the Federal Government on a regulatory framework for commercial importation of electric vehicles (EVs), CNG vehicles and related clean mobility equipment.
The charge was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Ademorin Kuye (APC-Lagos) at plenary on Tuesday in Abuja.
Moving the motion earlier, Kuye noted that Nigeria adopted policies promoting transition to EVs, CNG, LPG vehicles and other clean transportation technologies as part of its energy transition and economic diversification.
He said that the federal government introduced fiscal incentives, including import duty and tax reliefs, to encourage investment in clean mobility technologies in the country.
According to him, this is to improve the availability of adequate charging infrastructure, CNG refuelling stations, maintenance centres, spare parts supply chains, technical expertise and after-sales support.
The lawmaker argued that the intervention remained very critical to the success of the policy direction.
“Nigeria has the opportunity to encourage local investment, technology transfer, employment generation and domestic value addition by linking import incentives to measurable investments in infrastructure and technical capacity.
“There is need for a transparent framework for approvals for any company that satisfies prescribed eligibility requirements.
“These include evidence of establishment of certified service and maintenance centres within Nigeria,availability of genuine spare parts and warranty support, and employment and training of qualified Nigerian technical personnel.
“Others are evidence of investment in EV charging infrastructure and/or CNG refuelling facilities, compliance with Nigerian safety, environmental and technical standards, submission of consumer protection and after-sales service plans,” he said.
The house urged National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other relevant agencies to develop objective qualification criteria for import approval.
The lawmakers called on NADDC to maintain a public register of approved importers and infrastructure providers to enhance transparency and consumer confidence.
The house said that approval process should remain open, competitive, transparent and non-discriminatory so that any qualified company that met the prescribed standards might obtain approval without undue preference.
The green chambers urged the federal government to align tax incentives, import duty concessions and other fiscal benefits with compliance under a regulatory framework in order to promote sustained investment in local infrastructure.
In his ruling, Speaker of the house, Abbas Tajudeen, mandated the Committees on Industry, Commerce, Gas Resources, Environment, and Legislative Compliance to monitor implementation and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
