Nigeria revs up its auto industry

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.