Nissan and Stallion Group have announced intention to jointly launch vehicle assembly in Nigeria. This will make Nissan the first major international manufacturer to launch vehicle assembly under the Automobile Industrial Policy of the Federal Government. Stallion Group, the exclusive distributor of Nissan cars in Nigeria, signed the agreement with Nissan, and the move is subject to approval of the government.
The first car to be introduced is Nissan Patrol SUV by early 2014, from the existing VON Automobile Plant in Lagos. The capacity of the plant will be expanded to 45,000 units to assemble a range of cars, light duty trucks, pickups and vans.
Nissan President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, said, “We welcome the proactive measures being taken by the Government of Nigeria to encourage inward investment and job creation driven by local auto manufacturing. Together with our local partner, Nissan is preparing to make Nigeria a significant manufacturing hub in Africa. As the first-mover in Nigeria, we are positioned for the long-term growth of this market and across the broader continent.”
Sunil Vaswani, Chairman of Stallion Group said, “The new automotive policy spearheaded by His Excellency The President and Commander–in-Chief of Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, and the Honorable Minister Olusegun Aganga is a laudable Government initiative aimed at making Nigeria the regional leader in the industry. Our group is committed to invest in a fully integrated automobile industry that fosters the creation of several ancillary industries with associated socio-economic benefits.” He added: “We value our partnership with Renault and Nissan immensely and are aiming to deliver their world class expertise to Nigeria.”
