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Isuzu president visits Nigeria, speaks on how to stimulate auto industry, new products

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Dy. Vice President/ Sales Head for Sub-Saharan Africa for Isuzu International, Geoffrey Mulandi; President of Isuzu Motors International, Mansoor Ahmed; Managing Director, Kewalram Chanrai Auto/Transport Vertical, Anil Sahgal, and Isuzu Country Head, Nigeria, Jijo Thomas, during the Isuzu team visit to Koncept Autos in Lagos...on Thursday.

Isuzu president visits Nigeria, speaks on how to stimulate auto industry, new products

 

President of Isuzu Motors International FZE, Dubai, Mr. Mansoor Ahmed, was in Nigeria last week to assess the automaker’s business performance and how to boost it.

He canvassed more government support for local automakers and other investors in the automobile sector to stimulate economic growth.

According to him, automobile plays a vital role in the industrial development of a nation that will lead to massive job creation for the teeming youth population.

Ahmed spoke in Lagos on Thursday during the visit of the Isuzu executives’ team to the brand’s representative in Nigeria, Koncept Autocentre Limited, a Kewalram Chanrai group company.

The team including Geoffrey Mulandi, Isuzu Deputy Vice President and Sales Head for Sub-Saharan Africa; and Jijo Thomas, Country Head, Nigeria, were received by the Managing Director, Kewalram Chanrai Auto/Transport Vertical, Mr. Anil Sahgal.

Ahmed said for Nigeria to play well under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, he stressed that auto component tier 1, 2 and 3 producers should be encouraged to set up factories to produce various components like tyres, batteries, suspension and trims to get the required 30 per cent local content for auto assemblers to feed other West African nations.

The Isuzu president said, “Government needs to encourage manufacturers to come into the industry.

“There is a need for minimum viable scale to be able to manufacture locally else the business will lose money and will not be sustainable.

“It is about providing the enabling auto policy/structure or law for incentivizing local manufacturers. To motivate investors there should be preferential treatment vs imports on local manufactured vehicles.

He said Isuzu was focusing on Africa because the continent is rightfully considered as the last frontier of global growth.

He described Nigeria as the epicentre of the growth in Western Africa with the country’s huge population and size of its economy, the biggest in Africa.

Ahmed said, “For us, the strategic area for growth is the Middle East and Africa.

“Nigeria’s latent potential is enormous. It is a country with enormous resources, natural and human. It is blessed with oil and has a basket of multiple products in terms of what it has to export.

“Its huge population is also an advantage with the ensuing demographic dividend. Economic growth is based on population and consumption on the demand side.

“The country has a connected aspiring and entrepreneurial young population, a clear demographic advantage.”

Even as he affirmed that Isuzu was doing well in the light and medium duty truck segments in Nigeria, Ahmed said there was room for expansion and it could feed other nations in West Africa.

He said, “Nigeria is the leading economy in Africa and it should be steering and leading others in the auto industry.

“How do you stimulate the industry? Truck is not easy to produce; we are talking about 6,000 to 10,000 parts. There is the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) level; there are Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3.

“Right now, a market for just 3,000 new trucks is still small size and insufficient for large investments. But with 200 million people and the economy starting to boom, it should be doing about 40,000 trucks, looking at what India is doing.”

He also shared the vision for Africa where Isuzu dreams to inspire African society to prosper thorough offering new integrated business solutions for both products and services.

He said as people’s lives are always supported by the logistics and transportation services, Isuzu has seriously been working for an enhancement of innovation in the transportation and mobility solutions to the society.

Anil, who also spoke on the brand, said Isuzu is the expert in diesel with focus on delivering top quality, reliable and durable trucks and is the global leader in the light duty and medium duty trucks.

He also commented on the government’s drive towards gas-powered vehicles in the face of rising petrol price after the removal of subsidy.

“We definitely want to support the Federal Government. But we need to have the necessary infrastructure in place like CNG filling stations sufficiently put in place to take the project far,” he said.

 

Mulandi in his contribution announced that the company would introduce to Nigeria, in the next one to two years, heavy duty trucks to increase Isuzu’s market share.

He also spoke on the company’s warranty and the after sales service for their customers.

“In Africa, we have standardised our warranty to three years for the light duty trucks; and two years for the medium duty. That is an indication that we care for the customers and trust our products.

According to him, “Currently, we are extending two-year or 40,000km free service including lubricants, parts and labour to all our new customers in this market.”

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Excitement as Jetour Steals the Show at Abuja Motor Fair

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Excitement as Jetour Steals the Show at Abuja Motor Fair

Jetour, the new kid on the block in the Nigerian auto market, is currently making waves in its debut at the ongoing Abuja Motor Fair.
Jetour’s beautifully decorated pavillion and its array of new vehicles
were one of the major attractions at the auto event holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Most visitors to the fair since Monday December 4, 2023 when the fair arena was open, were held spellbound by the aesthetics and unique designs of all the new Jetour models on display.
On parade within the brand’s enclosed stand are X70 Liberty, X-70 Plus Elegance, X-90 Cruise, and Dashing, all sport utility vehicles.
Members of the National Assembly are expected to have a full view of the Jetour dashing beauty on wheels at the assembly complex in Abuja next week where the brand of vehicles will be showcased.
After the official opening ceremony of the Abuja Auto Fair on Tuesday, the special guests including a representative of the Director General of the NADDC Joseph Osanipin had the opportunity to visit each vehicle’s stand at the fair.
The NADDC DG representative could not resist the urge to feel one of the Jetour models X70 Plus Elegance as he stepped into the driver’s seat.
He marvelled at the dazzling dashboard and other features of the resplendent interior.
Obviously impressed by what he saw inside and outside the vehicle, he said, “This is beautiful.”


All the models boasting advanced technologies, comfort and creative designs have kept people at the auto show amazed, especially going by their affordable prices.
Jetour, one of China’s most revered auto brands and launched by Chery Holding Group in 2018, has scored many firsts in China where competition is really high in the auto sector.
According to Jetour’s representative in Nigeria, Jetour Mobility Services, “Jetour Automobile is a new brand launched by Chery Holdings in response to the market trend and consumer demand.
Jetour says its focus is to be a leader in mobility as well as provide reasonable travel solutions for individuals and families.
It has set a goal of providing an excellent vehicles that demonstrate individuality for today’s young people.

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Updated: Jetour hits Nigerian market with affordable top-class SUVs

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Updated: Jetour hits Nigerian market with affordable top-class SUVs

 

The Nigerian automobile market has received a boost with the introduction of Jetour, a new brand from the Chery Holding Group, offering top-class affordable luxury vehicles.
The automaker says the brand was introduced in response to the market trend and consumers’ demand.
With the slogan ‘Drive Your Future’, Jetour focuses on the travel + market segment, and its products are mainly SUVs to satisfy users for better travel.
The brand which is now in the Nigerian market was launched globally in 2018 to provide practical travel solutions for more families and individual.
Its vehicles are uniquely designed with intelligent driving and energy-saving electric system.
Indeed, Jetour says its vehicles are produced from an intelligent factory that incorporates automation, intelligent customization, flexibility, scalability, and environmental conservation.
Jetour’s goal is also to provide excellent vehicles that demonstrate individuality for today’s young people.

Brand users
The brand is targeted at uncompromising group of individuals, unwilling to settle for mediocrity and are certain that brilliance is gained through action rather than waiting.

Jetour concept
Jetour is derived from Jet+Tour, which connotes “convenient tour”. This means that customers that work hard in many industries can finally enjoy the benefits of their wonderful and happy lifestyles.

Technical strength
The brand focuses on core new energy technologies, offering the latest comprehensive energy technology system; Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) platform and the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) platform.
With technologies such as intelligent driving, intelligent network connection, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), its products are sold to many nations globally.
The core technologies of new energy electric vehicles such as battery, motor, electronic control, and vehicle controller have been independently applied to the different platform models.

Engine
The automaker says its vehicles are powered by one of China’s top ten engines. Jetour is the first Chinese brand with 1.6TGDI turbo-charged engine.
It is also considered the first Chinese brand with direct injection gasoline (petrol) engine that meets China VI emission regulations.
The brand comes with the industry’s top power, the strongest Chinese brand. It enjoys the Kunpeng Power 2.0TGD1, Golden Power Portfolio, 7DCT, Strong power 187KW, 390N.m and 100 km/h acceleration < 8 seconds.
Jetour says, “More than 1,000 people worked on the Kunpeng Power 2.0TGDI engine, which is based on Chery’s 23 years of positive engine development skill, a solid product development system, and an advanced verification system that relies on three main Research and Development (R&D) facilities in Europe and China (Wuhu, Shanghai).”
The team’s five advantages are super energy, ultra-clean, ultra-quiet, ultra-solid, and ultra-light, which took 48 months to develop.
It has a maximum power output of 187kW and a maximum torque output of 390N m, and the power reserve is comparable to one 3SL V6 engine.

Quality Control
The automaker has four main test locations, and the vehicles undergo 2,000,000km of rigorous verification to ensure industry-leading quality.

Global layout
Jetour has a worldwide development strategy and development vision, and its vehicles are exported to many nations globally.
The models available in the Nigerian market are X70 – Liberty; X70 Plus – Elegance; X90 Plus – Cruise and Dashing.

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LCCI faults Customs frequent reviews of import duties

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LCCI faults Customs frequent reviews of import duties

…suggests measures to stimulate auto industry growth

 

President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, says government’s policy inconsistency is stunting the growth of automotive industry in Nigeria.
He particularly faulted frequent reviews of import duties by the Nigeria Custom Services (NCS).
Olawale-Cole spoke through his deputy Gabriel Idahosa in Lagos on Thursday along with key players in the Nigerian auto industry at a symposium organised by the LCCI Auto and Allied Group under the theme ‘The Auto & Allied Sector: Present Day Realities in Nigeria’.
The Chairman of CIG Motor, Chief Diana Chen; General Manager of Suzuki By CFAO, Aissatou Diouf; Executive Director at Truckmaster Nigeria, Dr. Oseme Oigiagbe, and Mandela Oniemola, were other key speakers at the forum.
Olawale-Cole kicked against the Customs use of spot exchange rate to compute import duties.
He said, “The decline recorded in third quarter is a testament of automobile industry reactions to policy inconsistency, that is amplified by frequent reviews of import duties by the Nigeria Custom Services (NCS).”
He also noted that the twin effect of subsidy removal and exchange rates harmonization had impacted the industry with inconsequential gains and huge loss to the stakeholders.
He said, “If the government is not swift in stabilising exchange rate, investors may be discouraged, and domestic producers will be sceptical about mass production of vehicles that is perceived costly.
“It is important to note that the MDAs, especially the Nigeria Customs (NCS) should not use spot exchange rate as the basis for computing import duties in order to avert uncertainty and minimise the consequences of information asymmetric among stakeholders in the industry.
“However, computation that is based on last month average exchange rate could be a more reliable methodology among others. This approach will allow stakeholders to anticipate and estimate the cost of import duties that is void of misinformation, and frequent adjustment by the NCS.”
He urged the government to work with the private sector players to develop policies that promote and reduce the cost of local production as well as “encourage innovation and competitiveness to ensure the growth and sustainability of the automotive industry.
“The Federal Government, and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) should collaborate with the private stakeholders to encourage investments in the industry.”
He called for the establishment of an automated banking system and a resilient local manufacturing sector.
“The sector should prioritize the use of quality-controlled, domestically manufactured parts and components, together with a skilled workforce of specialists capable of supporting investments in manufacturing and assembly,” he said.
Chairman, Automobile and Allied Services Group at LCCI, Otunba Adekunle Jaiyesimi, spoke on the significant role of the automotive industry to the nation’s economy.

“From manufacturing and distribution to maintenance and repair services, it contributes to employment, revenue, and technological advancement,” he stated
Jaiyesimi listed the challenges and opportunities in the sector as technological advancements; sustainability and environmental issues; supply chain disruptions and government policies and regulation.

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