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The Nigerian Government has introduced an annual fee of N1,000 to be paid by vehicle owners for Proof of Ownership Certificate (POC) verification.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Transportation, Abdulhafiz Toriola, made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said the certificate will help vehicle owners and the government to guarantee the integrity of all vehicles registered on the National Vehicle and Identification Scheme (NVIS) database and track car theft and recovery of stolen vehicles.

Other benefits, he said, included that the states motor vehicle documents could easily be verified regardless of the issuing state; safety and security of vehicles and their owners, enhancement of National Vehicle database for national security and for planning and economic development.

Lagos State will commence the collection of the fee for POC from motorists beginning from July 2023, according to Toriola.

Toriola said the “annual Proof of Ownership Certificate (POC) is in line with compliance with legal requirement fundamental to transparency, security and accountability within transportation network.

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

“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, year of manufacture in addition to owner’s name and address.

“?Having critically reviewed the challenges encountered in ensuring 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 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.”