Death Of The Nigerian Car

BY August, the National Automotive Council, NAC, would be 20 years old. Its mandate in Act 84 of 25 August 1993 is to ensure the survival, growth and development of the Nigerian automotive industry using local human and material resources.

BY August, the National Automotive Council, NAC, would be 20 years old. Its mandate in Act 84 of 25 August 1993 is to ensure the survival, growth and development of the Nigerian automotive industry using local human and material resources.

NAC was to drive employment generation, technology acquisition, and effective utilisation of local raw materials in the Nigerian automobile industry. Ultimately, NAC was to fund research in the making of the Nigerian car, an automobile that would have most of its components from local materials, and with the artistry of Nigerian engineers in order to save Nigeria money – and the jobs that are lost to imports. Instead NAC officials are busy complaining about the failures of the industry.

Few would remember the politician Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, an electrical/electronics engineer, and a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Owerri, who in 1997 made prototypes of his first ever all-African car which he named Z-600.

BBC’s Hilary Andersson described it as the all-African dream machine, made for the family market with a top speed of 140km (86m) per hour. Ninety per cent of its parts were sourced locally. It would have cost just $2,000 to own one, which would have made it the cheapest car in the world. In 2005, South Africa authorities wanted Izuogu to build the car in their country.

NAC never looked Izuogu’s way until the dream died in 2006 when armed men broke into his workshop and stole all the manuals, designs, engine blocks and completed prototypes of Z-600.
It is unfortunate that NAC missed the vision. It never provided support that would have prospered the Nigerian automobile industry.

Sources of funds for NAC according to Section 9 (a) of its Act includes, “Two per cent of the Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) value of all imported, Fully Built Units (FBU) auto component spare parts, Completely Knocked Down (CKD) and raw materials brought in for the automotive subsector.”

NAC Director-General Mr Aminu Jalal laments that about 50,000 new and 150,000 used vehicles were imported into Nigeria yearly. “Nigerians spend an average of N400 billion on importing passenger cars and by the time you add trucks and other vehicles, the amount Nigerians spend on imported vehicles will be running to N600 billion annually.”
We do not know when he started counting, but N600 billion on vehicle imports translates to N12 billion revenue for NAC. It is money that should be invested in research and promotion of the Nigerian car. What has NAC done with the funds in 20 years?

The launching of Made-in- Nigeria vehicles in 2017 is no longer realistic, according to Jalal. When will it be possible?
NAC should worry about its relevance.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/death-of-the-nigerian-car/#sthash.TQJWwC3N.dpuf

The all-African dream machine

Friday, April 17, 1998 Published at 13:44 GMT 14:44 UK



It's African, it's new and it's different. The latest - and the first - in the Z series, the Z-600, is the first ever all-African car, reports the BBC's correspondent in Lagos, Hilary Andersson.

It was designed and made in Nigeria for the family market and has a top speed of 140km (86m) an hour.

Ninety per cent of its parts are locally produced - it has a doorbell for a horn. And if it ever goes into mass production it will cost just $2,000 (£1,195), making it the most affordable car in Africa - and probably the world.



The Z-600's inventor, Dr Ezekiel Izuogu, says that many Nigerians simply cannot afford a car. He believes his home-grown machine will be an instant hit.

"The common man is very, very keen. He's very interested. Many of them have dreamt of having their own cars over the years," he says.

The car is already an icon in Nigeria. The prototype received a rapturous reception on the streets of the capital, Lagos.

But back at the workshop, Dr Izuogu is working on another idea designed to appeal to the "common man". He is adapting the engine to allow the Z-600 to double up as a lawnmower - or even an electricity generator.

Source

Sooner or later

.

I know I wouldn't want to drive that Box on wheels

dis is indeed sad.

its a gud start..

jackbauersballs: I know I wouldn't want to drive that Box on wheels

Well, I'm in support of creativity and innovations, but how many of us would use a made-in-Nigeria car? Would there be a viable market for it?

AS ANY THING GOOD COME OUT OF NIGERIA AND SURVIVE?

all for nothing

2fine2fast: Sooner or later

God help this nation

1st to comment ; introduction

Intrepid!:
Nigerians are too brand conscious. We would rather drive a Hyundai or Mazda than patronize an Innoson car. This woulda been Dead On Arrival, unfortunately.

Innoson cars are quite good looking but I can't trust Nigerian Made Products sorry

When i saw the name Z-600 i thought it was a blackberry phone...blimey

Born 2be Rich: When i saw the name Z-600 i thought it was a blackberry phone...blimey

bra dey ur eyes wen u see 'made in nigeria car'. Shitt do happens

Nothing in this country amazes or dissapoints me anymore

was the car ever produced for sale? If so then they should have concentrated on the village market.

All of you we soon begin to patronize made in Nigeria by the time I invent my own engine that doesn't use petrol, diesel or battery. Just AIR & Water!

Emusan: All of you we soon begin to patronize made in Nigeria by the time I invent my own engine that doesn't use petrol, diesel or battery. Just AIR & Water!

Good luck with that, you are going to need it.

Intrepid!:
Nigerians are too brand conscious. We would rather drive a Hyundai or Mazda than patronize an Innoson car. This woulda been Dead On Arrival, unfortunately.

innoson is not quite a Nigerian car. They merely assemble a foreign car with most of the parts sourced from abroad. We need to develop more local suppliers and have domestic designers involved.

Na una go drive dat knd car, nt evn me nor a life-cautious Nigerian. Dat car ft dy fall off parts by parts as u dy drive on high way

supaeagles: innoson is not quite a Nigerian car. They merely assemble a foreign car with most of the parts sourced from abroad. We need to develop more local suppliers and have domestic designers involved.

stop talking nonsense.
The only parts gotten abroad are the engines.
Everything else is fabricated in Nigeria.

i tot is a fone sef buh which kind of box be dat? nyc try sha

jackbauersballs:

Innoson cars are quite good looking but I can't trust Nigerian Made Products sorry

you can't drive a Nigerian-made car?
I hope you are not in Nigeria,because the day i become president i will ban the importations of cars,and then empower innoson to produce enough cars.
With time, if you need to buy a car then your only option would be Nigerian-made cars.

God help naija o,anyway me no go wan drive car wey be say if i reach 3rd mainland bridge,i go dey control d car go left,d car go say no,say na right him wan go....na die be dat o.

solomon111: you can't drive a Nigerian-made car?
I hope you are not in Nigeria,because the day i become president i will ban the importations of cars,and then empower innoson to produce enough cars.
With time, if you need to buy a car then your only option would be Nigerian-made cars.

Hopefully when you become president, you can enforce high standards so that the Nigerian factor doesn't creep into the production process...Then I will happily buy 2 Nigerian made cars for me and my babe...

Otherwise....no way

oboi to drive dis type of car na disgrace oboi c car our ancestors dey drive b4, dis people wan introduce dis chakilikpo again abeg if dem produce dat car make dem export d car to south african cuz na dem go fit drive dis typoooh ...

Arosa:

Good luck with that, you are going to need it.

I dey tell you, ten years of my research.

"They" killd the idea so dat "they" cld benefit from importation largesse just the same way "they" killed the rail system in the country

Hmm! It is rather pathetic that we crave for foreign goods that what we can have within. Of a truth, it wasn't an armed robbery operation but one of those "normal arrangee" from our importers.

I heard dat 75% of Nigerian citizen.. r not normal ,could it be b'cos of corruption or something else?? And their comments here confirmed everything.