CHINESE EMBASSY REAFFIRMS PLANS FOR AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY INNOVATION IN NIGERIA

Cui Jianchun who is the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria has confirmed China’s will to provide support for additions like the newly built GAC auto assembly plant in Lagos. He visited the site and stated that partnerships like these proved the fulfilment of the “China-Africa bilateral industrial capacity cooperation pact with Nigeria.” Cui toured the assembly factory with Mohammad Tunde Mukaila (Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs representative) and other government and Chinese embassy officials. They were impressed by the facility, being a joint venture agreement between Lagos State Government and CIG Motors Co Limited.

It can be made known that before this particular partnership, Nigeria’s automotive industry has been stagnant and unsteady due to inconsistent government policies regarding investments for the sector, for both avenues including physical and importation policies. This caused the influx of used vehicles being two thirds of the road users.

Chief Diana Chen, the Chairman of CIG Motors, has that CIG carefully studied the automobile market with key stakeholders to join up with, purely with the goal to rebuild the sector, starting with the world class assembly plant in Nigeria, which will produce over 5,000 vehicles annually.

This partnership was sealed in December 2019 by the chairman’s of GAC Motors Group, Choice International Group and the Governer of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo Olu.

Since July 2021, when the project was approved locally, and construction starting in October 2021, the industrial area covers a total of 35,000 square meters, and the automobile production line covers an area of 4,800 square meters. The full construction and installation of machinery took under 7 months from start to finish and gave local employees hands on vocational training and work with world-class engineers overseeing the build.

CIG said “this reaffirms the credibility and commitment of CIG Motors towards the sustainable economic development of the nation.”

GAC Motors has not only got plans to keep up with the current demand for automobiles, but sees a future where Nigeria becomes a main player in eco-friendly production going into electric vehicle development.

“This will further contribute to the nation’s strategy to run a non-oil economy in the near future, as well as boost foreign exchange policy. The current Assembly plant is projected to double production within five years, creating thousands of jobs in the process, while serving as a vocational training institute for mechanically inclined young Nigerians who seek to pursue a career in mechatronics,” Chen said.

Source: Guardian, November 2022