Race for Nigeria’s Auto Awards begins as NAJA opens nominations

The Nigerian Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) has announced date for the 2021 edition of the NAJA Awards.

NAJA Awards celebrate and reward excellence in the Nigerian automotive industry in the outgoing year.

Chairman of NAJA, Mike Ochonma, said the 2021 edition would provide an avenue to recognise corporate stakeholder organisations and other automotive products and ancillary products such as tyre brands and individuals that had made exceptional contributions to the country’s auto industry within the year.

According to him, NAJA uses its members’ combined influence to inform the automotive public of new products, market developments, and technology and road safety.

“We’re committed to remaining a valued, professional body for the motor content creators of today and the future of mobility multi-media tomorrow,” he stated.

According to a statement by the Chairman, 2021 NAJA Awards Planning Committee, Theodore Opara, the 2021 edition is scheduled for Wednesday,. December 1, 2021 at the Eko Hotels and Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos. 

He said his committee comprising highly respected individuals in the motoring journalism, has drawn out all the categories in the awards, and presently compiling nominations in the various categories.

 “Industry experts are expected to decide the nominees based through a scoring system that will test vehicles’ strength, weaknesses and popularity against other contenders in same category,” he said.

Members of the committee would pay close attention to worldwide competition trends and take advice from industry experts in arriving at nominations and decoding eventual winners.

He said, “In this year’s edition, there’ll also be a special honour for Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, Chairman of Toyota Nigeria Ltd and some other industry giants for their immense contributions to the development of Nigeria’s auto industry.”

He also said that like previous editions, the highpoints of the 2021 awards ceremony would be the car-of-the-year category.

“Other segments of awards are luxury car of the year, heavy duty truck of the year, auto plant of the year, CEO of the year, auto personality of the year, CSR company of the year, pick-up of the year, showroom of the year and many others,” he added.