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Nigeria’s automotive industry may soon play a larger role in the country’s industrial expansion, following a high-level engagement between CIG Motors and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

Diana Chen, Chairman of CIG Motors, on Wednesday hosted MAN’s Director General, Segun Ajayi Kadir, and a delegation of senior executives for strategic talks aimed at strengthening collaboration across the automotive and manufacturing value chains.

The discussions centred on how both organisations can jointly position the automotive sector as a major contributor to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion Nigerian economy. The Federal Government has linked this target to stronger manufacturing, investment, innovation and coordinated reforms.

Chief Chen said Nigeria’s automotive industry has the potential to contribute between 10 and 20 per cent of the President’s economic vision if supported by the right policies, infrastructure, financing and sustained public-private partnerships.

She emphasised that the industry extends far beyond vehicle sales, connecting manufacturing, transportation, energy, technology, financing, assembly, aftersales, spare parts, skills development and employment. With the right partnerships, she said, the sector could become “one of the strongest drivers of Nigeria’s industrial transformation.”

Chen explained that CIG Motors is building an integrated mobility ecosystem that spans vehicle distribution, local assembly, electric mobility, fleet management, nationwide aftersales support, charging infrastructure, financing, energy and technology.

The meeting explored several areas of collaboration, including the expansion of CIG Motors’ authorised dealership programme nationwide, the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at MAN member facilities, fleet modernisation, employee vehicle ownership schemes and the development of local automotive supply chains.

Chen highlighted direct benefits MAN members could gain from a deeper partnership with CIG Motors, such as structured dealership and investment opportunities, preferential fleet and employee mobility programmes, nationwide aftersales support, spare parts partnerships, electric mobility infrastructure and technical training.

She added that the collaboration would strengthen MAN’s ability to engage government on key automotive issues, including financing, local assembly, fleet renewal, electric mobility, import substitution and industrial incentives, through MAN’s established advocacy channels.

Ajayi Kadir welcomed the strategic direction of the engagement, noting that stronger private sector collaboration is essential to expanding Nigeria’s productive capacity, promoting local value addition and improving the competitiveness of domestic manufacturing.

Both parties agreed to deepen discussions and develop practical programmes to support MAN members, advance Nigeria’s automotive capabilities and increase the sector’s contribution to national economic growth.

CIG Motors is the official distributor of GAC Motor, Wuling and JMC vehicles in Nigeria and is investing in next-generation mobility through distribution, assembly, electric mobility, transportation, aftersales, financing, energy and technology.