The Federal Government has reversed plans to ban on second hand cars in the country. The decision was made at the Federal Executive Council meeting penultimate week.
Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga disclosed this during an inspection of the Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria plant in Kaduna.
The minister said,”We studied what was done in Pakistan, India and South Africa. It is normal that in most countries they ban the importation of Tokunbo cars because that will help the demand of the local manufacturers.
“However, for Nigeria, we discussed and we said we are not going to ban Tokunbo vehicles because of the socio-economic problems we have in the country. We must work towards providing alternative cars before we even consider placing a ban on them.
“So, in Nigeria we have not banned it yet. If we slow down the demand, it will slow down the pace of growth. If you look at the cars today, for every new car that is imported, almost six Tokunbo vehicles are imported into the country. That tells you that the economy of the country is a priority.
“When you see that, as a country, you cannot afford to place a ban. The Federal Executive Council has said we are not banning Tokunbo vehicles until we have alternative for them. So, Tokunbo cars will still be imported into the country and we will do everything possible to make sure we can produce affordable and new cars for Nigerians. It is important that we provide an environment and the alternative for Nigerians before we embark on banning Tokunbo cars.”