Following the emission scandal that hit world’s biggest auto maker, Volkswagen, the Federal Government of Nigeria has promised to state its position on the matter after deliberations among agencies concerned.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Dr. Joseph Odumodu and made available to the media on Sunday.
Volkswagen was accused of installing a “defeat” software on some models of its diesel-powered vehicles that enabled the cars cheat laboratory testing parameters by drastically controlling emissions when being tested but not when in normal operation on the roads.
The Environmental Protection Agency in the US stated that these diesel vehicles were emitting nitrogen oxides (NOx) at up to 40 times the standard amount allowed by regulations.
The manipulated software affects 482,000 in the US and 11 million all over the world, Volkswagen admitted.
The company further stated that the process of recalling the affected vehicles could set the company back by at least $7.3billion.
In light of the emission scandal, many countries all over the world, including fellow African nation, South Africa, have conducted investigations into the veracity of the claims occasioned by the scandal.
Asked if Nigeria was at risk, the SON DG, said: “We are at risk and we are working out something, but it involves more than one agency.
“Next week you will be notified of our position, but currently, the standard emission in Nigeria is at the very basic level.
“While Nigeria is at level 2, Europe for example is at level 6.’’
The emission scandal is said to have affected the 2009 to 2015 models of the Jetta, Beetle, Golf, and Audi A3, along with the 2014 and 2015 Passat in the US alone.
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