Toyota, Coscharis, Weststar Emerge Big Winners at NAJA Auto Awards

In a night celebrating excellence across Nigeria’s booming automotive market, Toyota Nigeria, Coscharis Motors, and Weststar Associates emerged among the biggest winners at the 18th annual Nigeria Auto Journalists’ Association (NAJA) International Auto Awards, underscoring their market dominance, brand strength and service excellence.

Held at the prestigious Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, the December event has grown into a critical industry barometer — spotlighting innovation, market performance, and contribution to the local automotive ecosystem.

Toyota Nigeria: Triple Triumph Anchors Commercial Vehicle Strength
Toyota Nigeria was a standout performer, taking home three major awards at the ceremony:
Minibus of the Year – Toyota Hiace, a long-standing favourite among commercial transport operators.

Pick-Up of the Year – Toyota Hilux, cementing its reputation for durability and performance in Nigeria’s challenging road conditions.

Workshop of the Year – Toyota’s ultra-modern Isolo workshop in Lagos was recognised for after-sales excellence and technical competence.

These wins reflect Toyota’s sustained appeal among both commercial and private buyers, as well as its investment in service infrastructure that enhances customer confidence in vehicle ownership.

Coscharis Motors: Luxury and Multi-Brand Prowess Rewarded
Coscharis Motors also captured significant attention with two accolades:
Multiple Brand Auto Company of the Year, recognising Coscharis’s diversified brand portfolio and impact across segments.

Luxury Auto SUV of the Year, awarded to the Range Rover Autobiography, a model that combines premium performance with luxury appeal.

The company’s success signals the strength of luxury automotive demand in Nigeria, driven by rising consumer expectations for comfort, status and technology in high-end SUVs.

Weststar Associates: Setting the Standard in Luxury Motoring

Weststar Associates Limited, Nigeria’s franchise holder for Mercedes-Benz, added to the night’s big winners with two prestigious titles:
Luxury Car of the Year – Mercedes-Benz E-Class, recognised for its blend of innovation, comfort and performance.
Luxury Brand of the Year – Mercedes-Benz, reinforcing the marque’s enduring desirability and brand strength in the Nigerian luxury segment.

While the spotlight rightly shone on these corporate giants, the NAJA awards also highlighted the broader dynamism of Nigeria’s automotive industry.

The Jetour Dashing was crowned Nigeria’s 2025 Car of the Year in a fiercely contested category, while local and emerging players — including JIM-ISUZU, JéGO EV and Nord A9 — were celebrated as New Entrants of the Year, illustrating the market’s increasing diversity and competitiveness.

Industry stakeholders at the event emphasised the role of automotive journalism in promoting professionalism, accountability and consumer awareness, as well as the importance of local assembly, technological adaptation and after-sales excellence in driving sector growth.

Bottom Line: Toyota’s commercial reliability, Coscharis’s luxury appeal, and Weststar’s premium leadership dominated this year’s NAJA Auto Awards — a clear signal of the evolving priorities of Nigerian car buyers and the competitive strength of these industry leaders.
[5:56 pm, 16/01/2026] Papijay: NADDC DG Osanipin, Nord CEO Ajayi crowned Nigeria’s Auto Personalities of the Year

In one of the most celebrated nights on Nigeria’s automotive calendar, the 18th Nigeria Auto Journalists’ Association (NAJA) International Auto Awards recognised two transformative leaders in the nation’s burgeoning auto ecosystem, conferring on them the prestigious titles of Auto Personality of the Year — one in the public sector and the other in the private sector.

The awards, held at the Oriental Hotel on Victoria Island, Lagos, gathered policymakers, industry executives, manufacturers, assemblers, media professionals and automotive innovators to honour excellence across Nigeria’s automotive value chain, from vehicles and service providers to visionary leaders driving structural change.

Public Sector: Osanipin’s Strategic Leadership Ushers Industry into Growth
Otunba Joseph Osanipin, Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), was honoured as Auto Personality of the Year (Public Sector).

NAJA highlighted his remarkable leadership in steering policy frameworks, galvanising local vehicle assembly, and championing alternative energy solutions that position Nigeria’s auto industry as a reliable engine for industrialisation and economic progress.

Under Osanipin’s stewardship, the NADDC has focused on:
Policy advocacy and industry development promoting Nigeria’s automotive vision.
Support for local vehicle assembly and capacity building for domestic value chains.
Strategic thrusts on alternative fuels and green mobility, complementing Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals.

In his acceptance remarks, Osanipin praised NAJA’s vital role in amplifying industry narratives and reinforcing transparency, innovation and accountability.

He underlined the importance of automotive journalism in informing the public and shaping policy debates, urging deeper collaboration between media and government to accelerate growth pathways.

Private Sector
On the private sector front, Oluwatobi Ajayi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nord Motors, clinched Auto Personality of the Year (Private Sector), cementing his status as one of the most influential voices in Nigeria’s automotive industry.

Ajayi’s journey from Mercedes-Benz Nigeria, where he rose to Head of Vans Division, to co-founder of Jetvan and eventually CEO of Nord Motors illustrates a blend of engineering insight and entrepreneurial brilliance.

His leadership has been marked by a unique commitment to local production, technological innovation and home-grown brand building in a market long dominated by imports.

A few of Ajayi’s industry achievements include:
Launch of Tavet Motion, an electric vehicle subsidiary dedicated to Nigeria’s EV future.
Unveiling of three locally assembled EV models — Luto, Garent and Vant — signalling Nigeria’s stride into sustainable mobility.

Industry observers say Ajayi’s recognition underscores the growing influence of private innovators who are redefining mobility in Africa through cutting-edge engineering, job creation and forward-looking enterprise models.

A Night of Broader Celebration and Industry Recognition
Beyond the personality awards, the 2025 NAJA Auto Awards spotlighted excellence across multiple categories, affirming the breadth of competition and innovation driving Nigeria’s auto industry forward:
Jetour Dashing was crowned Nigeria’s 2025 Car of the Year, a testament to rising consumer demand for modern, tech-enabled vehicles.

Mikano International earned Auto Company of the Year, while Toyota Nigeria’s Isolo facility was recognised as Workshop of the Year.

Local assembly and manufacturing players such as Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing and Iron Products Industries Ltd received accolades, reflecting the growing robustness of indigenous capacity.

New entrants and EV-focused brands also featured strongly, signalling growing attention on future mobility even as combustion engines remain dominant.

Industry Outlook: Policy Meets Innovation
The NAJA awards come at a pivotal moment for the Nigerian auto sector as it aligns with broader national goals on sustainable mobility, job creation and industrial expansion.

With government pledges toward zero-emission vehicles by 2040, and an expanded focus on local electric vehicle production, industry dynamics are rapidly shifting.

Osanipin and Ajayi’s wins reflect a dual narrative — policy ambition and entrepreneurial execution — that could define Nigeria’s automotive future over the coming decade.

In summary: As the industry celebrates its movers and shakers, the victories of Osanipin and Ajayi at the NAJA Auto Awards aren’t just personal milestones — they represent milestones for Nigeria’s auto industry as it navigates transformation from import dependency to innovation-driven growth.