Nigeria’s first and only indigenous auto plant, Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM), Nnewi, on Thursday unveiled its newly built automated bus plant by the President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries Mines And Agriculture (NACCIMA), Hajiya Saratu Iya Aliyu.
Financed jointly by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) and the Bank of industry (BOI), the automated manufacturing process takes vehicle production at the Nnewi plant to a more advanced level with flexibility, efficiency, increased capacity and considerable reduction in the prices of Innoson vehicles, as some of its gains.
Already, news of the major benefit of the automated plant – the reduction of the price of each unit of Innoson 15-17-seater bus, popularly called ‘Hummer’, from N14M to N9M. – has set ripples across the auto market as transporters renew their fleets ahead of the Christmas/New Year season.
Commissioning the bus plant, Hajiya Saratu Iya Aliyu, commended Innoson for the investment made towards ensuring that the indigenous auto plant produces vehicles of international standards as required in the local market.
The NACCIMA President in her remark said “As a member of the chamber movement, I have some knowledge of the growth and development of Innoson, from its early days as a motorcycle spare parts dealer and subsequently venturing into motorcycle manufacturing.
“This is certainly a confirmation of the fact that if we put our minds to it, we will succeed in our endeavour in the Nigerian private sector, and NACCIMA as a national chamber has a large pool of entrepreneurs in this regard across the country.”
