The newly appointed Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Osanipin, has called on government agencies, the private sector and the general public to embrace made-in-Nigeria vehicles as a national obligation and patriotic contribution to the growth of the sector.
This is even as Osanipin commended the Chairman of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukwuma, for the huge investments he has made in the automotive sector.
The DG disclosed this when he paid a visit to Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM) in Nnewi, Anambra State, the first auto factory he toured since he assumed office last month.
The new DG said though he had heard about the factory and seen many of its vehicles on the road, he never knew the plant was that massive until he visited.
“I have visited the Innoson factory where the sedans, SUVs, buses and other vehicles are being manufactured in Nnewi. I have also come here to see another massive factory that is under construction.
“The new plant under construction occupies a land space of about 20, 000 square metres. That is one. Yet, another is being constructed next to it. I have come to inspect and see the huge investments, the huge capital being invested, and know how we can come in and partner with Innoson to know how to move the sector forward. And this is because there are a lot of potential in the industry.
“From what I have seen today, I am impressed. I am positively surprised because I never thought we had this kind of investment, I never knew we had this kind of expertise existing at Innoson, and I never knew that a lot has been going on here in the industry.”
The DG assured that having toured both the factory already producing vehicles and the one under construction he would be looking forward to a more productive partnership with the indigenous auto manufacturer.
“The impact of this visit will be more partnership. Now that we know the capability of Innoson and know their capacity and growth plan, we are in a better position to look forward to more partnerships. From what we have seen, by February or March, this new factory under construction would have been completed and commissioned.
“That means that long buses and trucks can be produced here. So, we are going to have at Innoson two separate factories that can produce different ranges of products,” he said.
The new DG described the future of the auto industry in Nigeria as bright because there are many opportunities. He, however, noted that it takes courage and love of one’s country, which Chukwuma has exhausted, to invest in the sector today.
While welcoming the DG to the factory, Chukwuma expressed his appreciation to the guest for making the Nnewi plant his first port of call since the assumption of duty.
Chukwuma pointed out that Innoson is a manufacturer of vehicles, which distinguished the factory from those who merely assemble.To prove his point, Chukwuma took the guest to various sections of the plant, including where the chassis are built, where the body parts are fabricated from flat sheets to the finish line.
Also showing Osanipin the process of manufacturing the CNG buses, Chukwuma decried the exclusion of his plant from various government schemes on the use of CNG as an alternative to premium motor spirit (PMS). He disclosed that the new factory due to open in the first quarter of 3023 would be dedicated to manufacturing CNG-powered vehicles.
