Nissan says it has begun the production
of Almera and NP300 in its factory in Nigeria, alongside the prestigious
Nissan Patrol. The first made-in-Nigeria Patrol rolled off the
production line in April after the plant was prepared for global
production standards in record time.
The Nissan General Manager for
sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Jim Dando, at a forum with journalists in Lagos
on Saturday, said the company was the first car manufacturer to build in
Nigeria after the government had introduced a new policy to encourage
domestic production of cars.
He also disclosed that the Japanese
company, together with its alliance partner, Renault, is already number
one in terms of market share in Africa.
“Nissan is on a major push for further
growth, and is demonstrating its commitment to the continent by
sponsoring the Orange African Cup of Nations,” he added.
Dando explained that Nissan assembly
plant in Nigeria would first service the growing domestic market with a
potential production capacity of 45,000 units and noted that the Almera
and the NP300 fell into the two most popular vehicle segments in
Nigeria.
He said, “Our first six months of
production in Nigeria has exceeded expectations. The Stallion Group has
certainly shown its dedication to meeting the Nissan’s global production
standards at the assembly plant and we are confident in their ongoing
commitment to quality and excellence.
“Teams of experts were deployed from
Japan and South Africa to help to develop the plant, and train the staff
members to the highest global quality standards. Nigeria has the
potential to develop into a major manufacturing hub for Nissan in Africa
alongside its plants in South Africa and Egypt.”
Dando, while also explaining that
Nigeria, with a population of over 170 million, remains Africa’s biggest
economy and an important growth market for Nissan, added that the
country’s GDP recently overtook that of South Africa to become Africa’s
biggest car economy.
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