Panafrican News Agency

Nigeria: Govt. grants 12 additional auto assembly plants licences

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Nigerian government has granted licences for the establishment of 12 new vehicle assembly plants in the country, through the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), the local Vanguard newspaper reported Monday, quoting the spokesman of the NADDC, Mr. Bello Rasheed.

The paper quoted Mr. Rasheed as saying, in a statement, that the benefitting companies are automobile manufacturing giants such as Toyota, Honda, General Appliances West Africa, Perfection Motors Company, and Richbon Nigeria.

Others are R.T. Briscoe Nigeria, Nigeria-China Manufacturing Company, Nigeria Sino Trucks, Coacharis Motors, DAG Motorcycle Industry Nigeria, Globe Motors Nigeria, Century Auto-Assembly Nigeria, and Concept Auto Centre.

According to the statement, the plants are expected to produce a wide range of automobile products such as sport utility vehicles (SUVs), passenger cars, pickup vans, buses, tricycles and motorcycles, among others.

The document also indicated that the companies, with their corporate offices in Enugu and Lagos, have started making arrangements to begin operations.

It said that the commencement of operations by the new licensees will bring the current total number of automobile assembly plants in the country to 45.

There were 15 assembly plants in the country before the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) was launched in 2014, but only three were operational.

While stating that 18 additional vehicle assembly plants were set up after the NAIDP came into being in 2014, the statement said that the plants were in different stages of completion.
-0- PANA VAO 3Aug2015