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LSM MD extols founder’s qualities after latter posthumous industry award 

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LSM MD extols founder’s qualities after latter posthumous industry award 

*He left us a good name, says son

 

Founder and late Chairman of Lanre Shittu Motors (LSM), Alhaji Olanrewaju Shittu, has been honoured with a Nigerian auto industry posthumous award.

This was announced in Lagos at the 2024 edition of the annual

Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) announced this in Lagos at the 2024 recently industry awards.

The prestigious award was received by one of his sons, Mr Taiwo Shittu, who is also the managing director of the auto company.

NAJA said the award was in acknowledgement of the leading role of the LSM founder in the development of the automotive business in Nigeria, describing him as a silent achiever.

Speaking on the honour, Taiwo Shittu, who was also declared the Nigeria’s Auto Personality of the Year, praised his father for painstakingly building the LSM brand and leaving behind a good name to the delight of the children and the entire family members.

He described this as a legacy accounting for the success of the company so far since his father’s demise over a year ago.

He said, “I must thank my late father, Alhaji Razaq Olanrewaju Shittu, for building the brand name. There is nothing like a good name.

“If you don’t leave anything for your children other than a good name, the sky is the limit for them.

“In our own case, he left us money and the good name. We can’t thank him enough for leaving us with a good name.

“You can imagine that everywhere we turn to in the country, once we mention we are Lanre Shittu’s sons, we are ushered in immediately.

“People would say ‘Your father was a good man. He won’t cheat you if you did any business with him. His word was his bond; he never broke his promises’. I have heard this many times. And the only thing we can do is to build on this legacy.”

Taiwo Shittu also noted that the unity existing among the 20 surviving children of the late LSM founder was part of his father’s legacies and something for other family businesses in Nigeria to emulate.

He said, “A lot of businesses collapse after the death of their owners. Once a business founder is dead, the next you hear is that a fight has broken out and while one person is taking the arm, another is claiming the leg, the other is going for the body. And in six months, the whole empire is gone down.

“In our case, we have 20 siblings that are cooperative and believe in my ability to lead the business with my other brothers.

“We had a father who never spoiled us. He taught us sincerity, commitment and accountability.”

He also spoke about the lifestyle of the late father, saying even though he was a car dealer and loved cars, he would only change his main car after every 10 years.

“Yes, he loved cars. He used to have a Rolls Royce. But he no longer had it before he died. What he had was a Mercedes-Benz Maybach. His car garage was not packed full. Even though he was a car dealer, he changed his main car every 10 years.

“He was a very prudent man. At the beginning of his adult life, he had many cars; in the middle, he was prudent. It was at the end that he bought some flashy cars such as Lexus L600, MayBach 650 engine – at that time only he and ex-President Muhammadu Buhari had that car. He bought the car then because the family was preparing for three weddings. By time he died, the MayBach had only run 600 miles.”

The LSM chairman, according to him, started the auto business in the late 1970s as a car dealer with three vehicles.

He said he was so creditworthy that many were willing to release their vehicles to him on credit, adding that this helped the business to grow faster.

He recalled how he would travel to Ogbomosho, Oyo State, and Kaduna to buy cars and returned to Lagos with double the number he could readily paid for.

“Sometimes, he would travel as far as Kaduna to buy 12 cars from PAN, he would be the person driving the last vehicle while others were ahead driving all the way to Lagos,” he stated.

Before delving into automobile assembling, he also recalled that Daewoo and Rolls Royce were the two brands that gave the LSM a real breakthrough.

 

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Jetour Targets Abuja Market with X70 PHEV as Nationwide Expansion Gathers Pace

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Jetour Targets Abuja Market with X70 PHEV as Nationwide Expansion Gathers Pace

Jetour Nigeria is taking its hybrid SUV offensive to Abuja, with the X70 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) set to headline the three-day Jetour Experience from September 22 to 24 as the automaker accelerates its drive to expand its footprint and capture a larger share of Nigeria’s fast-evolving mobility market.

The Abuja showcase, coming on the heels of a strong Lagos edition that generated significant consumer interest, test drives and sales enquiries, is designed to bring Jetour’s latest technologies closer to customers in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states.

The event at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, will give prospective buyers and auto enthusiasts the opportunity to test-drive the X70 PHEV and other Jetour models while interacting with product specialists and experiencing their technology, safety features, performance and comfort firsthand.

According to the company, expanding the showcase to the Federal Capital Territory was a direct response to rising demand from residents in Abuja and neighbouring states.

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To bolster buyer confidence, Jetour Nigeria—the country’s sole authorised distributor—backs the X70 PHEV with a five-year or 150,000-kilometre warranty.

The distributor operates through an accredited nationwide dealer network, including: Elizade Nigeria Limited,
New Era Auto Vehicle Services Limited, Kojo Motors, Germaine Auto Centre, Tab Autos Limited, R.T. Briscoe Motors, and Mandilas Autos.

The X70 PHEV pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with a 19.43kWh battery and a dedicated hybrid transmission. Designed to balance performance with fuel efficiency, the vehicle supports fast, slow, engine, and regenerative braking charging options—reducing reliance on external charging infrastructure.

Jetour’s rapid growth in the Nigerian market has earned both private and corporate patronage, driven by competitive pricing, high specification levels, and an expanding service footprint. The brand was named “Fastest Growing Auto Brand of the Year” at the 2024 Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) Awards.

With the X70 PHEV leading the Abuja showcase, Jetour aims to deepen customer engagement and consolidate its position in the local automotive market.

 

Jetour Targets Abuja Market with X70 PHEV as Nationwide Expansion Gathers Pace

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X90 Plus Leads Jetour’s Abuja Drive for Bigger SUV Market Share

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X90 Plus Leads Jetour’s Abuja Drive for Bigger SUV Market Share

 

Jetour Nigeria is taking its premium SUV battle to Abuja, with the seven-seater X90 Plus set to headline the Jetour Experience Abuja from September 22 to 24, as the automaker moves to capture a larger share of Nigeria’s fast-growing high-end family SUV market.

The three-day motoring showcase will give prospective buyers, families and auto enthusiasts in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states an opportunity to experience the X90 Plus and other models in the Jetour range through test drives and hands-on demonstrations.

The Abuja showcase follows the success of the brand’s earlier Jetour Experience in Lagos, where strong customer interest, inquiries and sales momentum reportedly encouraged the company to take the initiative to the Federal Capital Territory.

Jetour Nigeria said growing demand from customers in Abuja and neighbouring states was a major factor behind the decision to expand the experience to the northern market.

Positioned as a full-sized family SUV, the X90 Plus is designed for executives and families seeking a combination of space, technology, performance and comfort without the price tag associated with some luxury SUVs.

The model is offered with 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre turbocharged engines paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The powertrain produces up to 254 horsepower and 390Nm of torque.

Inside the cabin, the X90 Plus features a 12.3-inch LCD touchscreen infotainment system, panoramic sunroof, Sony premium audio system and wireless charging.

Its safety and driver-assistance features include a 360-degree panoramic camera, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and electronic stability systems.

Jetour’s growing profile in Nigeria has also earned the brand recognition from the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), which named it Fastest Growing Auto Brand, while it was also recognised as Auto Brand of the Year at the Nigeria Transport Lecture.

To support its expanding customer base, Jetour Nigeria, the sole authorised distributor, operates through seven accredited dealer partners across the country: Elizade Nigeria Limited, Mandilas Autos, R.T. Briscoe Motors, Germaine Auto Centre, Kojo Motors, Tab Autos Limited and New Era Auto Vehicle Services Limited.

The Abuja Experience is expected to provide Jetour with another platform to engage potential customers and reinforce its position in Nigeria’s increasingly competitive SUV market.

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Jetour Takes Award-Winning Dashing, Other SUVs to Abuja

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Jetour Takes Award-Winning Dashing, Other SUVs to Abuja

Motorists in Abuja are set for a close encounter with Jetour’s award-winning Dashing and other models as Jetour Nigeria moves to deepen its foothold in the nation’s capital with the Jetour Experience Abuja, beginning September 22.

The three-day motoring event, which runs until September 24, is expected to draw prospective buyers and automobile enthusiasts to a hands-on experience featuring test drives, product demonstrations and direct engagement with Jetour’s seven authorised dealers and product specialists.

The participating dealer network comprises Elizade Nigeria Limited, Kojo Motors, Mandilas Autos, Germaine Auto Centre, R.T. Briscoe, Tab Autos and New Era Auto Vehicle Services Limited.

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The Abuja Experience follows the success of the Lagos edition, which attracted thousands of visitors for test drives and direct engagement with product specialists. According to the organisers, strong demand and inquiries from motorists in Abuja and neighbouring states prompted the expansion of the event to the Federal Capital Territory.

The Dashing has gained attention in Nigeria’s competitive compact SUV segment for its combination of modern styling, technology, performance and competitive pricing.

The SUV is available with 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre turbocharged engines, producing up to 145kW of power and 290Nm of torque, paired with six- or seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions.

Its features include a 15.6-inch central touchscreen infotainment system, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging and smartphone integration.

For safety, the vehicle comes with a 360-degree surround-view camera, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind-spot detection and multiple airbags.

Beyond vehicle sales, the authorised dealers provide warranty, genuine spare parts and after-sales support to Jetour customers across their respective locations.

The Abuja Experience is expected to strengthen customer engagement and give motorists in the FCT a closer look at Jetour’s growing range of vehicles, while further expanding the brand’s footprint in the northern market.

 

Jetour Takes Award-Winning Dashing, Other SUVs to Abuja

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