Abstract:

This study examines the Nigerian motoring public's perception of the corporate activities of automobile assembly companies in Nigeria. Given the Federal Government’s import substitution drive and enactment of the National Automotive Policy, which aims to boost local production, vehicle importation is still rampant. This has questioned if the Nigerian auto industry can meet the needs and expectations of the motoring public. This study assessed the perception of the motoring public towards the corporate activities of Nigerian assembly companies.. This study adopted the survey research design.  With the aid of a structured questionnaire, 400 respondents who comprised of owners, drivers, and commuters of Nigerian assembled vehicles in Ikeja and Eti-Osa Local Government Areas of Lagos State were sampled. Results show that a positive reputation state is still lacking in the auto industry, causing a low acceptance of Nigerian-assembled vehicles. The study recommended that Nigerian automobile companies train reputation managers to effectively communicate their corporate identity and influence the industry's negative narrative. Moreover, the companies should encourage more auto financing plans to increase the acceptance of vehicles.