A vehicle assembly company; VON Automobile Nigeria Limited has assured that its first set of Sport Utility Vans (SUVs) will hit Nigerian auto markets by May, 2014. This is against the backdrop of earlier assurances by some automobile assembly plants that, made-in-Nigeria cars would hit the markets by April.
A vehicle assembly company; VON Automobile Nigeria Limited has assured that its first set of Sport Utility Vans (SUVs) will hit Nigerian auto markets by May, 2014. This is against the backdrop of earlier assurances by some automobile assembly plants that, made-in-Nigeria cars would hit the markets by April.
The Federal Government had also backed the promises ahead of the commencement of its new auto policy which places a 35% levy and 35% duty on all imported used vehicles. The new policy, according to government is to discourage importation and encourage local production.
But speaking with Shipping Position Daily correspondent at the VON Motors assembling plant along Badagry expressway in Lagos last week, an official of the company who pleaded anonymity confirmed authoritatively that the company will roll out its first batch of assembled Nissan and Hyundai SUVs soon. He also assured that 25% of components were sourced locally.
He also confirmed that the company has commenced the assembly and turning out of made-in- Nigeria ‘Ashok Leyland’ buses.
The insider source expressed the company’s commitment to increasing its local content from the current 25% to 70%, even as he assured that the ultimate goal is to come out with 100% made-in-Nigeria vehicles.
"We have commenced assemblage since last year, we have been able to assemble four brands of the Ashok Leyland which includes; Falcon, Hawk, Eagle (Mini Bus), and County". he said
The top management staff also reiterated that all the vehicles manufactured in Nigeria were designed for Nigerian roads and the prices are affordable.
He claimed that the quality of the vehicles sold to customers have been lauded at various times by industry stakeholders.
According to him, the first sets of buses were assembled in November 2013, but added that Nigerians are yet to be aware of this.
Shipping Position Daily correspondent also gathered at the VON complex last week that, there has been a massive recruitment of skilled labours at the complex, even as our source disclosed that the company is engaging the services of artisan on a daily basis.
"Mechanics, welders, technicians, electrical engineers and painters are being engaged weekly”, he said.
He also appealed to maritime stakeholders to support government quest to discourage importation of vehicles into the country because according to him, local content will bring about economic growth.
“Our current 4,000 product capacity per annum is expanding up to its capacity of 36,000 in the nearest future; we are here to make a change" he assured.
According to him, VON Automobile Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Stallion Group, owned by Indian business men; Vaswani Brothers; has revamped the moribund Volkswagen of Nigeria complex with the sole aim of manufacturing vehicles.
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