The Federal Government spent N21.1bn on the procurement of vehicles for various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) within five months, an investigation by The PUNCH has revealed.
The Bureau of Public Procurement document obtained by The PUNCH showed that 10 agencies received the funds between April and August 2023.
They include the Independent National Electoral Commission, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Population Commission, Nigerian Police Trust Fund, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Commission.
The document further showed that N4.5bn was awarded to various contractors for the procurement of an unspecified number of operational vehicles for the NPTF, while N1.91bn was given to Kaura and Wada for the purchase of 43 vehicles for the ICPC.
In addition, the NUPRC got N1.1bn for the procurement of vehicles.
Other approvals include N8.55bn for motor vehicles and tow trucks for the FRSC, N1.36bn for 37 work vehicles for the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and N388.3m and N835.2m for the NPC and ICPC, respectively.
In 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari ordered MDAs to buy only vehicles made or assembled in Nigeria to insulate them from the policy that sought to drop import duties.
He said, “We are not giving up on the local auto industry. We still have a relatively high duty at 35 per cent, so there is still a disincentive for importation. Secondly, we are promoting a policy that the government must buy only locally manufactured cars.”
Despite this move, car importers still enjoyed relative patronage from political leaders.
Recently, Wuzup Nigeria reported that the leadership of the National Assembly had announced the decision to purchase N160bn imported SUVs for each lawmaker and bulletproof vehicles for the principal officers. A move which has generated criticism by Nigerians and also triggered protests by the youths.
