The prolonged delay in the issuance of vehicle number plates in Abuja has raised concerns among motorists, vehicle dealers and licensing officials, with allegations of shortages, preferential treatment and additional payments.
Some applicants claim they have waited several weeks or months for number plates despite completing the required payments and registration procedures.
One applicant, Chinedu Okafor, said he paid between N50,000 and N55,000 for a number plate after being told it would be ready within two weeks. He alleged that he was later asked to pay an additional N50,000 for what was described to him as a “VIP” arrangement.
Another applicant, Blessing Eze, said some motorists who had completed payment were still waiting for their plates and had allegedly been asked to make additional payments.
A licensing officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the processing period for number plates had increased significantly, from one or two days in some cases to more than three months.
The officer also alleged that some applicants were being offered faster access to number plates at higher prices under what was described as a “premium” arrangement.
“We normally paid about N70,000, together with insurance, for a private car, and after weeks of waiting, they would reach out to us to say that it had increased to over N100,000,” the officer alleged.
A staff member at a licensing office in Osun State also reported delays in obtaining Abuja number plates, saying the process, which previously took about three to four days, could now take up to two months.
The official said the delays were creating difficulties for motorists, particularly those subsequently stopped by law enforcement officers for driving without valid identification documents.
An Abuja-based car dealer, Olayinka, said he paid N350,000 for dealer plates for one of his companies but had not received them after two months.
He also alleged that plates that ordinarily cost between N80,000 and N90,000 were being offered for about N180,000 through unofficial channels.
The allegations of unofficial payments and preferential treatment could not be independently verified.
However, a test of the application process found that a payment made for an FCT number plate remained unfulfilled more than a month later, with the number plate and accompanying documents yet to be received.
The reported delays have raised concerns among motorists who say they could face enforcement action while waiting for identification documents they have already paid for.
Motorists and vehicle dealers are calling for greater transparency in the number plate issuance process and are seeking clarification on the official costs, processing timelines and approved payment channels.
They are also seeking clarification on whether any legitimate VIP or premium number plate service exists and, if so, the legal basis and officially approved charges for such a service.
DRTS Explains Delays
The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), popularly known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), acknowledged concerns over the scarcity and delays in obtaining vehicle number plates in Abuja.
The agency attributed the situation to limited supply, network challenges and issues associated with the digital allocation system.
According to DRTS spokesperson Kalu Emetu, about 80 per cent of the agency’s operations are now conducted online. The self-service portal is among the platforms through which applicants can access services, including vehicle number plate registration.
Emetu said the digital system had also introduced challenges, particularly because applicants outside Nigeria with faster internet connections could sometimes access available number plates more quickly than applicants within the country.
He said the shortage was partly linked to the quantity of number plates supplied to the agency by the printing facility.
According to him, the limited supply has created tension between applicants and licensing officers, with some motorists accusing officials of withholding plates or misappropriating payments when the plates are unavailable.
“Once we upload the little numbers that they supply to us, the public will feel nothing was uploaded because it can’t serve half of the applicants,” he said.
The situation has intensified calls for improvements in the supply and allocation system, as well as clearer communication on official fees, processing timelines and payment procedures.
Stakeholders are also seeking measures to prevent unofficial charges and ensure that motorists who complete the required registration process receive their number plates within a clearly defined timeframe.