Support for the
automotive industry
by the Nigerian
government is
expected to see the sector
enter the fast lane, creating up
to 700 000 direct and indirect
jobs, according to Nigerian
trade and investment minister
Olusegun Aganga.
Speaking at the opening
of the Precision Auto Care
Centre in Lagos, he said
“the automotive industry in
Nigeria currently employs
about 2 500 people, but
it is expected that the
implementation of the
new automotive policy will
generate more than 700 000
direct and indirect jobs.
“The policy will help
create jobs in different
clusters in the country and
across the entire automotive
value chain. It will also
fast-track the growth
and development of other
intervening industries such
as automotive spare parts,
auto servicing, steel industry,
rubber, and petrochemicals
and plastics,” he is quoted
as saying in the New Nation
newspaper.
The Precision Auto
Care Centre is part of an
integrated automobile
facility, Autonation Africa,
which is the result of a
partnership between the
Nigerian Kunech Group and
Precision Auto Care of the
United States.
In April 2014 Nissan
became the first major
manufacturer to start
manufacturing vehicles in
Nigeria in response to the
introduction of the Nigerian
Automotive Policy.
The first “built in Nigeria
for Nigerians” Nissan
Patrol follows the signing
in 2013 of a Memorandum
of Understanding for
vehicle assembly in Lagos
between the Renault-Nissan
Alliance and West African
conglomerate Stallion
Group.
Speaking at the
ceremony to mark the
occasion of the first car
off the production line,
Takashi Hata, Nissan
senior vice president and
chairman for the Africa,
Middle East and India
region said “for Nissan,
Africa is our strategic
growth driver.
“Demand for cars is
growing quickly in African
markets as demonstrated
by the first model
being produced a mere
seven months after the
announcement of the new
Automotive Policy.
“By acting quickly to begin
production in Nigeria we are
securing for ourselves firstmover
advantage.”
In addition to the Patrol,
Nissan plans to produce
the Almera and NP300 in
Nigeria.
CAPTION
The Nissan Patrol … in April 2014 Nissan became the first major manufacturer to start
manufacturing vehicles in Nigeria in response to the introduction of the Nigerian Automotive
Policy.
