VOICE AIR MEDIA News Update

THE Federal Government of Nigeria, has introduced a fee of N1,000 to be paid by all car owners annually for Proof of Ownership Certificate (POC) verification.

Lagos State is kick-starting the collection of the fee for POC from motorists beginning from July 2023.

At a joint news conference in Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola said the state government had begun the implementation of the new initiative that aimed to streamline and enhance the process of vehicle ownership verification which is the “annual Proof of Ownership Certificate (POC) in line with compliance with legal requirement fundamental to transparency, security, and accountability within the transportation network.

He said the initiative was in accordance with the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012 as amended, No. 101, Vol. 99; Section 73- (1) which states that ‘There shall be Proof of Ownership Certificate for all registered Vehicles’. Section 73- (1-6) also added that ‘The commission shall establish and maintain a Central Data Base for Vehicles and drivers for the federation.”

“To this end, the Federal Government has introduced the issuance of annual Proof of Ownership Certificate for all registered vehicles.

“This certificate will serve as official documentation of a vehicle’s legal owners upon successful completion of the necessary requirements and procedures.

“The POC will contain vital information including the vehicle’s registration details, such as, license number plate, model, and year of manufacture in addition to the owner’s name and address.

“Having critically reviewed the challenges encountered in ensuring the promotion of Safety and Security of lives and property through the issuance of POC nationally and especially in our Dear State, the Joint Tax Board in its communiqué issued at the end of the emergency meeting held on 9th May 2023 adopted and made a resolution that proof of ownership certificate (PoC) be issued to motorists on an annual basis nationwide,” he said.

The permanent secretary said the decision, among other things, was aimed at tracking the real-time status and guaranteeing the integrity of all vehicles registered on the National Vehicle and Identification Scheme (NVIS) database.