Yes we are beginning to see more result of licences the Federal Government awarded to automobile manufacturing giants such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford Motors, Kia and Renault to mention few for the establishment of vehicle assembly plant in Nigeria through National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC). The plants are expected produce a wide range of automobile products such as Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV), Passenger Cars, Pickup Vans, Buses, Tricycles and Motorcycles, among others.
These new policies contributes to the announcement made by American giant automaker - Ford Motors Company to commence the assembly of its Ford Ranger pickup truck in Nigeria starting in
the fourth quarter of 2015 (i.e. October 2015) as part of its expansion in Middle East and Africa.
the fourth quarter of 2015 (i.e. October 2015) as part of its expansion in Middle East and Africa.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will be the first African country outside of South Africa where Ford vehicles are produced, according to the automaker.
Ford Ranger assembly will begin in Ikeja, Lagos State here in Nigeria with the support of their partner dealer group - Coscharis Motors Limited.
Ford said it will assemble the vehicles at a semi-knockdown (SKD) level, using body parts and components imported from South Africa for the new Ranger. The new assembly plant in Ikeja will create approximately 180 jobs directly and indirectly, and has the capacity to assemble up to 5,000 units annually. Vehicles assembled at Ikeja are destined for sale in Nigeria only.
The Ford Ranger was the best-selling vehicle South Africa for the first half of 2015, and is currently sold in 24 countries throughout the continent. Later this year, Ford will begin selling an updated Ranger with new styling and new features.
The Ranger features an ability to wade through water up to 800 mm deep, and has 230 mm of ground clearance. And with a 28-degree approach angle and 25-degree departure angle, customers feel confident when taking on steep terrain. An electronically controlled transfer case allows drivers in 4x4 models to shift on the fly from 4x2 to 4x4 high with a knob on the center console. For low-speed torque or additional downhill braking, drivers can also engage low-range 4x4 gearing. An electronic locking rear differential helps to improve traction in difficult conditions.
The commencement of operation of Ford assembly plant will bring the total number of automotive assembly plant in the country to 45 from 15 since the launch of National Automotive Industry Development Plan in 2014.
We are getting there, it's a matter of time.
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