Mr Innocent Chukwuma needs no introduction in Nigeria. He is the young man from Nnewi, the manufacturing capital of Nigeria who has, from the scratch, successfully built a vehicle manufacturing plant. Before this period, Chukwuma had established a motorcycle manufacturing plant and a plastic plant that is churning out helmets for use by motorcyclists in Nigeria.

The 46-year-old businessman, interestingly, started with just N3,000 he got from his brother and he has, today, built a multi- billion naira business empire. His case is a typical grass to grace story.

Chukwuma, who is a member of the Vision 20:2020, said he is conscious of the fact that Nigerians like quality and that the road network is not fantastic and, because of that, they decided to turn out quality and rugged vehicles that would stand the test of time.

He also said that apart from the durability of the vehicles, they are also cheaper than the imported ones.
His words: “I want to say that I am not afraid of competing with Honda, Toyota or any other big name in the automobile industry. I only have respect for them. My reason is because I have done it before and I hope to do it again. There were a lot of big names in the industry when I went into the manufacturing of motorcycles some years back, but that did not stop me. I went in there and excelled. I have not failed in any business that I have embarked upon, and this one will not be an exception.

Even talking about competition, I can tell you that I have never competed with anybody. I am always competing with myself. I try to turn out quality products and allow the market to judge. So, I am competing with the market for acceptance, rather than the people producing the same thing as I am because the market is the ultimate judge.”
According to him, his goal, apart from putting Nigeria on the map of vehicle manufacturing countries, is to stop Nigerians from buying fairly used vehicles, popularly known as Tokunbo, as is now the case.

He said that with the commissioning of the plant, Nigerians could now beat their chest and say, “this is our own,” just as the Americans, the Chinese, the Germans and the Japanese. Recently, President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company in Nnewi, Anambra State, and Daily Sun caught up with this rare entrepreneur and he spoke about his foray into business, his challenges and successes.
Chukwuma is our CEO of the week.
Excerpts.

How it all started
I went into business about 30 years ago. I started by selling motorcycle spare parts, which you know is traditional to my people. I am from Nnewi in Anambra State and we are known for that. From there, I graduated into selling of complete motorcycles. Then motorcycle was seen, as luxury because of the exorbitant prices. I was not happy with that because I know that I am not in business to satisfy myself. I want to render service and from the proceeds of my service make a living. So I began to think of a way to make the price of the motorcycle to become affordable for the teeming masses that needed them. It was in the process that I discovered that importers were the major reason why the price of motorcycle was very high.

I found out that the importers were packing their motorcycles in a very big case and when they put the cases into the container, it can contain about 40 units. I reasoned that if the cases could be removed, there would be more room to contain more motorcycles. So when I went to my manufacturers abroad, I told them to knock down the parts of the motorcycles so that I would pack them straight into the container and they agreed.

When they knocked down the parts, I discovered that about 220 units of motorcycles could enter one container. When they did that, I brought the container into the country. So instead of bringing in a container containing 40 units, I brought in a container that contained 220 units and you know that they charge per container and not what is inside it. So with a container, I was saving what I would have paid for five containers and that gave me a very big financial boost.

What I did then was to crash the price of the motorcycles that I was importing so that they would be affordable. However, some people felt that my motorcycles were of inferior quality and that was why I was selling them at give away price. They did not know that I had a technology break through in my packing. They don’t know that the reason why my own motorcycles were cheaper was because I was spending far less money in bringing them into the country than the other importers.

All along, I was not happy that Nigerians were driving second hand motorcycles. I felt that we deserve better than that but because of the high cost of brand new motorcycles, the common people could not afford it. So when I began to pack 220 units inside a container instead of the normal 40 units, the price of motorcycles fell by 50 percent and that is why today nobody buys second hand motorcycle again. Even nobody imports second hand motorcycles into the country, as was the case in the 80s and 90s.

As I said earlier, I was the first Nigerian that started packing 220 units of motorcycle inside a container. We tested the market with a single container and it was a success. In fact we sold all the motorcycles within a month. Those who bought them did so half-heartedly because they felt that the reason it was cheap was because they were not of a good quality. But when we exhausted the stock, by the time we came with another stock, the initial buyers have tested it and saw that it was of a very high quality, the other consignments that we were bringing in became hot cake. From one container that we tested the market with, we moved to 10, later 20 and continued to raise the stake. There was a time we were clearing about 200 containers in a month.

Even there were times, before the containers arrive at the Nigerian ports; people had bought all in advance. That was a testimony of the quality of our products. One can say that it was quality matched with affordability. Our motorcycles were of a very high quality but yet very affordable.

Going into motorcycle manufacturing
After we had made a success of importation of motorcycles, I decided to step up the business. I believe in setting the pace for others to follow. When I began to bring in my motorcycles in containers instead of cases, after a while other businessmen copied me and began to do the same. So I told myself that it is time to move forward. You can agree with me that while downstairs are always crowded, there is always vacancy up stairs. So I took a good look at motorcycles and discovered that it has a lot of plastic components. Because of this, I set up a plastic producing company in Emene, Enugu to be producing the plastic components of motorcycles.

I felt that if I could manufacture some of the motorcycle parts here in Nigeria, it would further help in the reduction of the price of motorcycles. The plastic company started to produce the spare parts while we continue to import the parts that we could not produce here. With this, the price of motorcycles was further reduced to the extent that they became affordable to whomever that needs it.

While we were producing the motorcycle spare parts, we realized that the plastic plant was being under utilized, so we decided to incorporate other things like plastic chairs, tables, upholstery, plastic containers and so on. The idea was to keep the plant producing at full capacity and today it has paid off because, it has helped us to employ a lot of staff and millions of Nigerians are using our products which they are buying at give away prices. Even people from neigbouring countries come to buy our plastic products.

There is no part of the country that you will go and will not see Innoson plastic products. As I said, we have used it to create a lot of direct and indirect employment. You should also not forget that we are into the manufacturing of crash helmets. In fact, we are the biggest helmets manufacturing company in the West African sub-region. From the plastic factory also we produce tyres for vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles and others in the same company. People also come there for customized plastic products.

Challenges
The challenges of manufacturing in Nigeria are enormous. You and I know that there is the problem of infrastructure. However, what is encouraging me to go on is the patriotism in me. My businesses are people driven rather than profit driven. I am in business to deliver service to Nigerians. I am in business to boost Nigeria’s economy. I am in business to empower Nigerians through mass employment and good remuneration. These things are far more important to me than profit and that is the spirit that is keeping us marching on.

Sometimes, when the burden becomes too much, I look around and see thousands of family who depend on me for their daily bread. Then I would ask myself what would become of these people if I should relent? When I ask myself that question, my sagging spirit would be revived and I would get back on my toes. But to be honest with you the challenges of being a manufacturer in Nigeria is over whelming. If I tell you how much we spend on energy in a month, it would shock you.

The roads are also another thing. We are engaged in manufacturing and distribution. We also spend huge sums of money on wears and tears of our distribution vans. Some times our vehicles would break down on the road due to bad road. At other times, it takes longer than the scheduled time and that means you spend more on fuel than you would have if the roads were smooth. But I am grateful to God who has been seeing me through all these challenges.

I have never failed in any endeavour that I started and I know that it is not because of my intelligence but the grace of God, the support of my family and my workers who are ever ready to go to the extra mile in spite of all the odds on the way. For instance, when I started the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing plant, three of my foreign workers were kidnapped and that almost ruined the business. But God helped us to over come the challenge and today we are celebrating the birth of Innoson vehicles, which is the first of its kind by a Nigerian.

Why vehicle manufacturing?
What made me to go into motorcycle manufacturing was the same thing that made me to go into vehicle manufacturing. When I went into business in the early 80s,brand new motorcycle was seen as an elite thing. It was seen as something for the well to do. A preserve of the rich. The reason was because of the price, which was on the high side and therefore unaffordable to the common man. Then if you buy CD 175 or CD 185,you would be seen as a very rich man.

People who were not wealthy enough were settling for second hand motorcycles and I was not happy with it. I began to think of what I would do to reduce the price of motorcycles so that they would become affordable. That was why I discovered that part of the problem was the way they were packing the motorcycles before bringing them into the country. When I discovered that, the rest as they say became history. The same problem that the masses were facing in the 80s has resurfaced in automobiles.

The price of brand new cars is practically unaffordable to most Nigerians. In fact over 80 per cent of Nigerians cannot afford brand new vehicles. That is why second –hand vehicles or tokunbo has become the order of the day. If somebody buys a brand new car, he is seen as a God. Even police gives him special respect on the road. They think twice before stopping him because in their mind, before he can buy a brand new car, he must be well connected.

I am not happy with this and that is why I began to think of how I can make the price of vehicles to become affordable. I don’t want cars to be seen as an elitist thing and I am not happy that Nigerians are driving tokunbo vehicles. It does not give us respect in the eyes of the international community. A country that is as blessed as Nigeria, the fifth biggest oil exporter in the world should not be used as a dumping ground for vehicles that have been used in the other parts of the world. Based on the experience that I got when I was importing and later manufacturing motorcycles, I know that if Nigerians see cars that are comparatively cheap, they would stop driving tokunbo cars.

That was how I began to think of how I can make this possible. It took me about seven years to solve this great puzzle. Vehicles have many plastic components and I have a flourishing plastic company, which is among the biggest in Africa. So I began to research into how many vehicles components that could be sourced locally and I discovered that a lot of them could be produced here. That was how I took off. When people hear that Innoson want to manufacture vehicles, they laugh it off. They said that it is mission impossible but with the commissioning of the vehicles by President Goodluck Jonathan, those doubting Thomases have seen that it is a reality that Innoson is manufacturing vehicles and a lot of them are already making waves on the roads across the country.

Our type of vehicles
We manufacture different types of vehicles and they include Pick-up vans, buses, Sports Utility Vans (SUV). We also manufacture tricycles popularly called keke NAPEP. Our vehicles are built with the state of the roads in the country in mind. We know that our roads are not good so we decided to make our vehicles rugged enough to withstand the shocks on the road. So our vehicles are more rugged than the imported ones because we are the ones that are wearing the shoes so we know where it is pinching us. Unlike vehicles that were manufactured for London or New York roads where roads are smooth.

I can tell you that in terms of durability, Innoson vehicles are more durable. Also in terms of price, ours is also cheaper. As I told you earlier, ours is quality matched with affordability. I want to stop Nigerians from driving tokunbo cars because it does not command respect and also because of its inherent risks. That is why we decided to make sure that we come out with vehicles that Nigerian could afford.

What we want from government
What we want from government is to patronize made in Nigeria products like vehicles and others. Government should stop feeling that made in Nigeria products are of inferior quality compared with their imported counterparts. If the president, governors, senators and other dignitaries begin to drive in Innoson vehicles, it would go a long way to build confidence in other Nigerians to begin to patronize made in Nigeria products. It would also inspire other Nigerians to go into manufacturing. The fear of most potential manufacturers is government preference of foreign made goods. But once they begin to see government officials making use of made in Nigeria products, it would inspire them to bring out their best for their fatherland.

We have seen what happened in Chile recently. I am talking about the rescue of the 33 miners. You can agree with me that because of that every Chilean has become proud of his or her country. The incident reawakened their national consciousness and love for country. That is exactly what would happen when we see top government officials patronizing made in Nigeria products.

So in this case, I feel that government should set the pace for others to follow. Another thing that I want from government is to make sure that the Ajaokuta steel industry comes to life. If the company can be resuscitated, half as far as machinery is concerned would solve the problem of Nigeria. That Nigerians both public and private still import hardware is because the company is not functioning. If it is made to function to full capacity, we will stop the importation of most of the automobile spare parts as well as the moulds that is used for different types of machines.

Innoson vehicles and Nigerian economy
Well, as a member of Vision 2020, what I am doing is in tandem with the vision. There is no way Nigeria can become one of the 20 top economies in the world in the year 20 20 if we are not manufacturing. Right now by going into the manufacturing of automobiles, I have put Nigeria in good stead towards the realization of the vision. Some people think that the vision is a mere slogan but it is not so. It is achievable if we have the political will to do just few things. The first is for government to fix the power sector. Once the power sector is fixed, there would be a boom in manufacturing in the country. The second thing after fixing the power sector is to make the Ajaokuta steel company to begin to function at full capacity.

If the steel company begin to function at full capacity which means Nigerians would be getting the machines they need for production here in Nigeria coupled with steady power supply, Vision 20:2020 has been achieved because Nigerians are not only industrious, they are also creative. The other minor things are for government to encourage banks to be giving reasonable credit facilities to genuine manufacturers and then fix the road network and give tax holiday to manufacturers.

Once this is done, Nigeria would become one of the most industrialized nations in the world within the next five years. We will make a quantum leap to join the league of China and Japan. We have the acumen to be there but what we lack is the enabling environment to spur us on.

Again, Nigerians should also learn to be patient. We just celebrated our golden jubilee but we want to compete with those that have been there centuries ago. Rome as they say was not built in a day. From all indications, we are not doing badly. About 50 years ago, Japan was building the worst cars in the world. Then America was on top with General Motors (GM), but today Japan with Toyota has taken over the global automobile industry. So, we should not always try to be in a hurry.

There is a saying that slow and steady wins the race. Let us concentrate on doing good work and before you know it we will be there. It is also my desire to use this plant to boost Nigerian economy. One of the things that have made Japan a super economy is the automobile that it is manufacturing.

You may not believe it Nigeria is the biggest consumer of automobiles in the world. For instance, when Mercedes was in vogue, Nigeria was consuming more Mercedes cars, today Nigeria is consuming more Toyota and Honda cars. Therefore, if Nigerians can be patriotic enough to be patronizing made in Nigeria vehicles all these money would remain in Nigeria and would be circulating in Nigeria. We will have more money on our hands to develop our country. As the plant is expanding, we will be providing more employment for the people.

Fear of competing with other automobile manufacturers
Well, whoever knows my antecedent in business would know that I don’t fear competition rather I encourage it I believe that business becomes boring if there is no competition. So right now I am happy that Toyota and Honda are already there. That would make me to bring out my ingenuity. One of the gifts that God gave me is creativity.

Whenever I sit down and look at something for a while, I would see a way to take it to the next level. When I went into motorcycle business in the 80s,there were a lot of big names but I was not scared of them. Within a short time I became a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Therefore it is that determination, that mindset that I have brought to this vehicle manufacturing business. To tell you the truth, I am not scared of Toyota or Honda. I only respect them but I am sure that within a short time, Innoson brand of vehicles would become as popular as their own brand.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/ceomagazine/2010/nov/01/ceomagazine-01-11-2010-001.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjWuXD3kzBw

[size=15pt]Innocent Chukwuma Talks About His Made In Nigeria Cars & How He Wants To Expand To Africa[/size]

Oya, produce low cost cars for Nigerians.

I noticed it's hard to get a listing of Innoson cars with their price tags, one can easily get that for foreign brands. I think they should make this public to Nigerians for better planning and choice-making, not waiting until one goes to their showroom/company.

I rep made in Nigeria cars.

Can one get a good innoson car for like 1m,1.5m?

Chukwuma the son of the soil.

Your people are proud of you.

When I saw an innoson product, I was amazed, It was world class worthy of competing with other products from other parts of the world.

We are proud of d tokunbo
No worry yourself

Innoson cars are not for average Nigerians
Its for d rich
Buhari should reduce import duty on tokunbo cars

If na northerner Dem go make am monopoly over other competitors...example dangote

You may not believe it Nigeria is the biggest consumer of automobiles in the world. For instance, when Mercedes was in vogue, Nigeria was consuming more Mercedes cars, today Nigeria is consuming more Toyota and Honda cars. Therefore, if Nigerians can be patriotic enough to be patronizing made in Nigeria vehicles all these money would remain in Nigeria and would be circulating in Nigeria. We will have more money on our hands to develop our country. As the plant is expanding, we will be providing more employment for the people.

i loved this

WEAK CAR

Metro OPINION: The Biafran Truth and the Illegal Trial of Nnamdi Kanu by Remi Oyeyemi


“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

“I’m for truth, mo matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.”— – Malcom X

With trepidation, I have been watching the subtle descent into dictatorship by the administration of Muhammadu Buhari. I have been watching with disgust President Buhari’s war against freedom of speech. I am very concerned about desperate attempts by President Buhari and his sentries to muzzle the voice of self determination. I am very upset that a government of All Progressives Congress that claimed to love freedom is engaged in deliberate subjugation of innocent citizens who happens to have different views about the state of the polity.

I am very concerned that an innocent man is being denied his freedom. I am scared that an innocent man is being subjected to illegal detention. I am not comfortable that an innocent man is being tried for desiring freedom for his people. I am very disturbed that a non-violent man is being inflicted with unwarranted and undeserved travails. I am worried that a lot of unwary observers who are not properly schooled in the elementary tenets of democracy are vilifying an innocent man.

Nnamdi Kanu is an innocent man. He has not committed any crime to make him deserve the kind of treatment being meted out to him. You do not have to like Nnamdi Kanu. You do not have to agree with him or his desires for his people. But no one has the right to deny him his fundamental human right to be free. No one has the right to deny him the right to self-determine his destiny as he sees it or wants it. No one has the right to shut him up because they do not like what he is saying or because they feel threatened by what he is saying.

Mr. Kanu’s exploits are known to all and sundry.His desire is to have a homeland for his people. His desire is to free his people from the shackles of Nigeria. His desire is to see his people get to the promised land of Biafra. His dream is to see his people in control of their own destiny. His desire is to have a say in who governs him and his people. His desire is to ensure that no oligarchy or neo-oligarchic interests within the Ndigbo homeland is able to hold his people in bondage. His desire is to be able to water the tree of liberty for his people. There is nothing criminal in or about all this.

In all this, he has only employed semantics. He has only deployed sophistry. He had only appropriated the airwaves to be able to reach his people. He has not acquired arms. He has not killed anybody. He has not declared any armed war against anyone or organization. The only war he has ever declared is against the continued subjugation, enslavement and denigration of his Igbo people. It is a war of idea. A war of and for the minds of his people to see what he is seeing, to desire what he is desiring, to dream what he is dreaming. And he is doing that peacefully. He has been able to make his case to the majority of Ndigbo and the youths of that nation who are indeed the future of Biafra.

He is mobilizing his people to engage in the struggle to be free from their enslavement by the Nigerian State. He is making a clarion call for his people to stand up for their rights and self determine their destinies, or collective destiny. He has been innovative. He has been peaceful. He has been determined. He has been methodical. He has been deliberate. He has been consistent. He has persevered. And he is making sacrifices. There is nothing criminal in or about this.

Nnamdi Kanu has a dream: a dream of Biafra. He has a dream of the land of the Rising Sun; where there is freedom and liberty; a dream of Biafra where the people are free to be in control of their own destinies. He has a dream of Biafra where the sons and daughters of Biafra can reach for the sky and penetrate the heavens. He has a dream of Biafra where there would not be a despicable federal character that denies the talented and the gifted of Ndigbo the opportunity to achieve their potential. He has a dream where Biafra would be able to take its rightful place in the comity of nations. There is nothing criminal in or about any of this.

So far, apart from those benefiting from the miseries of the Ndigbo nation; apart from the sentries of the status quo; apart from the carpetbaggers and political dealers of the Nigerian State; apart from the scallywags and scared agents of the Nigerian State, Nnamdi Kanu is beloved by the majority of his Ndigbo people and every lover of freedom across the world. If anyone is in doubt of this claim, they should call for the referendum of the people of the Igbo Nation. This would settle the case at least for a while.
Even, if Nnamdi Kanu is a minority voice, he is still entitled to his freedom of speech, freedom to desire, freedom of association, freedom to seek liberation for the people who may or may not want it. The fact that not many people really cares about “heaven” as the Christians call it, or “Aljana” as the Muslims call it has not stopped the Pastors, Evangelists, Reverends and the Imams from preaching their beliefs. Nnamdi Kanu should be allowed to preach his Biafran Gospel. The Ndigbo have the right to believe him or ignore him. They have the choice to follow him or reject him.

The continued detention and trial of Mr. Kanu by this administration is illegal. It is uncalled for in a free society. It is unwarranted in a democracy. It is unfair to any man or woman. It is illegal. It is unacceptable. We do not have to agree with Mr. Kanu before we all protect his rights. We do not all have to believe in Biafra before we protect his freedom. We do not have to be Igbo to protect his desire for self determination for himself and his people. We all must champion his freedom from illegal detention and trial.

From what has transpired so far, it all looks like an oligarchic conspiracy. Everything is pointing to signs of fear by the enslavers within the Nigerian State. It is suggestive that some neo-colonialists who control the levers of power of the Nigerian State are scared stiff of Biafra and other growing voices of freedom from the subjugation of the Nigerian State. The Hausa-Fulani neo-colonialists and their sentries in Yoruba land, Igbo land and Birom land, Nupe land, Kataf land, Mumuye land, Kanuri land among several others are jittery.

They are not only jittery, they are panicking. They are scared that the slaves are about to break free. They are afraid that the slaves are about to do away with their shackles and chains. They are nervous that the captives are about to break down the walls of subjugation.The dilating dawn of freedom is drowning their deceit and duplicity. They are brimming with tension. They are threatening violence against non-violence agitation. They are murdering freedom fighters and stigmatizing them as criminals. They are shooting and maiming freedom fighters and stigmatizing them as troublemakers. They are resorting to everything and anything to hold on to a modernized feudalism euphemized as “democracy.”

Nnamdi Kanu should not worry about his being detained if he is reading this.He should not be concerned about his trial. This is a battle between body and mind. It is a battle between injustice and justice. It is a battle between matter and spirit. In all these battles, the mind would overcome the body, justice will vanquish injustice and spirit will defeat matter. This is because Nnamdi Kanu represents an idea. It is an idea whose time has come.

Though, the Biafra idea might not be Kanu’s originally, he is, as at present, the physical representative of that idea. It is not this idea that has created the present crisis. It is the crisis of the Nigerian State that has created the Biafran idea. The Nigerian state and its odious purveyors may be able to subjugate your body, they may be able to vilify and malign your name for desiring freedom for your people, but they would not, should not and must not be able to destroy your spirit. They would not be able to defeat the idea of Biafra. The only people who would be able to defeat the Biafran idea are the Biafran people if they choose to. Otherwise, any effort on the part of the decadent Nigerian State would come to futility. It is a matter of time. Not a matter of if.

For those who believe in the truths of Biafra as a Nation, they should remember the words of Elvis Presley, the American music icon, “Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t going away.” The land of the Rising Sun is not going away.Nnamdi Kanu is not going away. The desire for self determination is not going away. The determination to be free from the shackles of the Nigerian State is not going away. Biafra is not going away.

You can take Nnamdi Kanu’s body out of circulation. You can imprison him. You can try him several times over. You can shoot, maim, kill and or murder his followers and those who believe in him, but what he stands for, Biafra, is not going away. Biafra was conceived as an idea. The obnoxious Nigerian State is its incorrigible catalyst. Then it became a belief. It has become a dream of all proud Ndigbo. It is a dream contextualized in reality. It is going to be achieved.

To someone like me, who believes fervently in Oodua, who prays for and preaches for the advent of an Oodua Nation, free from neo-colonialism, unbounded from the curse and shackles of the Nigerian State, Nnamdi Kanu is an inspiration. For someone like me, who believes that the emergence of an independent Oodua Nation is inevitable, Mr. Kanu is an inspiration regardless of what his detractors or enemies might say. He inspires me like Obafemi Awolowo inspires me. He inspires me like Nnamdi Azikwe inspires me.He inspires me like Mahatma Gandhi inspires me. He inspires me like Kwameh Nkrumah inspires me. He inspires me like Jomo Kenyatta inspires me. He inspires me like Kenneth Kaunda inspires me. He inspires me like Thomas Jefferson inspires me.

The Nigerian State has a date with its destiny which is its eventual balkanization. But Biafra and Oodua Nations have dates not just with their destinies, but also with History. It is inevitable and it is unstoppable.

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”
– John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961

http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/opinion-the-biafran-truth-and-the-illegal-trial-of-nnamdi-kanu-by-remi-oyeyemi.147114/