Stories by Moses Akaigwe 08072100049
The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, Jelani Aliyu, last week, visited Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company {NADDC}, in Nnewi, where he witnessed the production of vehicles at the plant located in Umudim area of the bustling town.
The facility tour which was the first by the NADDC Director-General to any vehicle plant since his appointment about five months ago, also took him to the site of the Automotive Supplier Park (ASP), an auto parts manufacturing cluster bordering some nearby communities.
Aliyu, who was accompanied by the Director, Policy and Planning, Luqman Mamudu, and management staff of the council, was received by the Chairman of Innoson Group, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, who also guided him through the various sections of the plant.
Apart from witnessing the production of IVM midi , the visitor was pleased to know that the light commercial vehicle range included other smaller and bigger {mass transit} buses and pick-ups, as well as passenger cars, namely Umu and Fox , and sport utility vehicles {SUVs}.
“I am very happy and excited to be at Innoson and to see the wonderful work being done,” the Director General said. “This is something that all Nigerians should be proud of – to see an indigenous automobile manufacturer producing cars right in Nnewi, and making a significant contribution to the local and national economies, and to the development of the nation’s automotive sector.”
Occupying hectares of land in Akwa-Ihedi, Osumenyi, and Uga {in Nnewi South/Aguata Local Government Areas}, the Nnewi Automotive Industrial Park the NADDC team also toured, would be a centralised manufacturing hub for the production of automotive components.
It was learnt that all the necessary Infrastructure would be provided to allow manufacturing stakeholders to set up operations.
The Director General, who later a visit to Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra state, stated, “The Park will provide thousands of direct and multiplier effect jobs, and enable the transfer of relevant technical skills and technology. It will be a world class hub of advanced technology which will supply world standard components to feed both the automotive service and repair market, and local assembly operations. “
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company has the credit of being the first auto maker in Nigeria to produce vehicles bearing an indigenous brand name. Following a memorandum of understanding signed recently with a delegation from Mali for the supply of 400 units of vehicles, the Nnewi plant is set to start exporting its products to countries within the continent.