A new bus model has started rolling off the production lines of Nigeria’s youngest auto manufacturing plant, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM), Nnewi.

This, the company disclosed recently, is in tandem with its avowed commitment to the production of varied vehicle types to meet the demands of the local market.

The new vehicle bears the official model name Innoson IVM 6540, but is already christened ‘Innoson Hummer Bus’ by early buyers and passengers who have had the privilege of boarding it to various destinations since formal production commenced a few weeks ago. The bus is so richly endowed that it is being tipped to snatch a lot of patronage from the popular Japanese counterparts currently dominating the market.

A source at Innoson plant in Nnewi informed Daily Sun Motoring that the bus with seats for 13 to 17 passengers (depending on the need of the customer) has become an ‘instant hit’ only a few weeks after the first unit was produced. He gave two reasons for the Bus:
“The first one is that the bus has everything the Japanese version has, but costs more than N2 million less. You know that in the country today, most vehicle buyers go for a product that will perform satisfactorily, but will be comparatively cost-efficient at the same. The second one is that Innoson is backing the vehicles with very reliable after-sales support.

So, the buyers don’t have to worry about maintenance already being powered to various destinations like Aba, Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Jos and Kaduna, by the 2.7 litre petrol engines which are said to be very fuel efficient.

Some of the transport companies already using the new bus are GUO Motors, Orizu Motors, and Auto Star, which recently took delivery of many units, while the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and an Abuja-based construction company purchased some units for non-commercial purposes.

Naturally, while the transporters have been placing orders for their ‘Innoson Hummer Buses’ to be built with the maximum 17 seats, corporate organizations and the churches that have so far taken deliveries, were said to have asked that the interior be configured with fewer number of seats.
“We pledged to build Innoson vehicles according to the needs of the buyers, and we have been living up to that with a wide variety of buses, including city buses, small capacity models and inter-city buses, as well as pick-ups, SUVs, refuse compactors, and others.

There is no doubt that more will be coming as the market demands them. We have been doing our part. It is left for the government and people of Nigeria to do their own parts by supporting and patronizing us at Innoson”.


source SUN NEWSPAPER

I visited their site and they seem to manufacture chairs, helets, motocycles , then I found a link http://www.innosongroup.com/innosonmotors/buses.php

Its pretty impressive stuff and a step in the right direction, dose anyone know who designed the vehicles? Are the engines manufactured in Nigeria? Testing? Safety record? sales?

CEO Chukwuma showing guests engine/chassis component CEO Chukwuma showing guests engine/chassis component nbf

Private Car plant opens in Nigeria

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM) based in Nnewi, Nigeria has been  opened for operation and president of Nigeria was present to cut the tape. The first of its kind in Nigeria, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company is a privately owned company and the CEO Innocent Chukwuma is the principal investor. Many important government and business individuals garthered at the opening ceremony including the governor of Anambra state and some of its cabinet members.

There was a huge satisfaction from the guests and mood was festive, as the whole ceremony proceeded. This is a booast for private industry in Nigeria especially in the Auto industry where Nigeria is badly lagging behind when compared to other emerging nations. This is not the only car plant in Nigeria, there was already french based peugeot car plant but it was wholly controlled by the government of Nigeria with its foreign joint partner. Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company do not have a partner with the government rather an independent company that is 100% owned by private individual.



President Jonathan said,  “I am indeed happy that Innoson is not just assembling parts that are imported from  other countries. From all indications, it is only the engine that is imported. Apart  from that, every other thing is manufactured in Nigeria,”  and stressed that it will help to lessen unemployment and trigger economic growth in the state. He further stressed that government economic policy was in line with development of private industry and private enterprise.

According to the CEO of the motor industry, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma said that  the car plant employed almost 1,600 Nigerians together with some expatriates while the operation sister company at Enugu employed 1800 Nigerians.

pic: Innoson Motors

He said, “Mr President, with adequate encouragement, we can go beyond our present level of  operation, and when we operate fully, the auto plant alone can employ as many as  3,200. We want to appreciate the example of the Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan  Chime (who has placed an order for hundreds of buses and refuse disposal vans from  Innoson) and pray that every tier of government from Federal to Local Government and  government parastatals, should emulate this patriotic act,” he pleaded to President  Jonathan.

Most of the raw materials were raised in Nigeria and all the car parts were made in Nigeria except the imported engine blocks. Innonson car plant makes seater- buses, double cabin pick up  vans and SUVs which were on displayed on the opening day.

Nigerian government needs to make a serious decision on moving forward with its iron and steel industry by privatization and giving chance to superior technical and management expertise from the private industry. To improve automobile industry in the country engine blocks must be manufactured in the country. With improvement in the electric power sector and iron-steel industry, Nigeria will join the rest of the productive vehicle manufacturing countries.

Igbo peeps are too much, I wish all naijas are industrious as ibo. so all this fine fine cars are all made in naija?

[center][size=14pt]MADE IN NNEWI[/size][/center]

kunlekunle:

assembled in nnewi

they call it[b] CKD[/b]complete knocked downparts

it's called out sourcing. Igbos are leading.

even a better website

http://innosonivm.com/En/Company.Asp

kunlekunle:

assembled in nnewi

they call it[b] CKD[/b]complete knocked downparts

You're not embarrassed?

thats not manufacturing

u bought parts and assemble them

ask ojukwu's father

kunlekunle:

thats not manufacturing

u bought parts and assemble them

ask ojukwu's father

So you didn't read the article?

Cool but Im not thrilled . . .
Ekene Dili Chukwu motors did something like this way back,Doll trucks and it died an untimely death.
Let's see how far this one goes . . .

kunlekunle:

thats not manufacturing

u bought parts and assemble them

ask ojukwu's father

Most of the raw materials were raised in Nigeria and all the car parts were made in Nigeria except the imported engine blocks.

that is good enough for me, we have to start from somewhere.

playerhaters the guys is manufacturing cars with private money not govt assisted an youre still crticisin. na wa o

Don't mind the modo foko.

no ify ekene dilichukwu never own a car manufacturing plant,he had a deal with Volvo in Nigeria and they supplied thousands of trucks and buses you see in Nigeria,

alj_harem:

even a better website

http://innosonivm.com/En/Company.Asp

Thanks Alj Harem for giving us an even better link. This man should be applauded and encouraged. The truth remains that for our country to achieve its vision 202020 goals. The private sector must be encouraged and developed. The Asian Tigers started this way. KUDOS once more Innoson. Let's drop our ethnic garb for once and appreciate what is good.

Can the government Increase TAX on Toyota, Hyundai, Tata as soon as possible.

The funds realized should be used to assist local automobiles in R & D

For my Igbo peeps, no trumpet blowing and for my Naija peeps it is Naija made anywhere in the world. NOBODY SHOULD DARE DERAIL THIS THREAD PLEASE. Naija remains great.

I want all nairalanders to note that innoson is doing full time manufacturing,only the engine block(not engine as a whole-and does not amount upto 5% of the whole vehicle parts) is imported. I even heard the man in a t v interview said that in 2yrs time the engine block will be manufactured in nigeria,and that was 2010,so by 2012 it takes effect if God wills.KUDOS TO INNOSON.

Nuit50:

I want all nairalanders to note that innoson is doing full time manufacturing,only the engine block(not engine as a whole-and does not amount upto 5% of the whole vehicle parts) is imported. I even heard the man in a t v interview said that in 2yrs time the engine block will be manufactured in nigeria,and that was 2010,so by 2012 it takes effect if God wills.KUDOS TO INNOSON.

Insha Allah, Innoson cars would be known worldwide.

okpurukata:

Thanks Alj Harem for giving us an even better link. This man should be applauded and encouraged. The truth remains that for our country to achieve its vision 202020 goals. The private sector must be encouraged and developed. The Asian Tigers started this way. KUDOS once more Innoson. Let's drop our ethnic garb for once and appreciate what is good.

didn't see this, but a good way to go

This is excellent, wonderful, exhilarating, fantastic, bangacious, ewedulitic and kunustatic! Kudos to Innoson.

Does anyone have the pics of this hummer bus? lets see how it looks like.

Pretty impressive. Nnewi people have always been exemplary front-runners in entrepreneurship. If not for the kidnapping menace there it would be such an ideal place for MBA students across Africa to go and take practical lessons.

Kudos to Chief Innocent Chukwuma; I hope he becomes a dollar billionaire before our very eyes.

Here's d pix of some of d vehicles, really proud to be naija!

d 1st pix is d hummer bus, very impressive!

This is a welcome development.I had being to there online site a couple of times to see there vehicles.Its impressive and i here some commuter companies and churches are already patronizing them.
That aside i think there should be more room for them to evolve to a reputable automobile company.The same way TATA started from a humble beginning.Atleast TATA got the Indian government to be a major client until they got off fully.Now they compete with the rest globally.
I remember some guys from Ekiti developing an APC(Amoured personal carrier) during the Yar'adua Government.They were asked to work in conjunction with the military.Innoson can cash in on this guys especially since security concerns got a boast and the government and banks wouldn't mind such.If Nigeria was a serious country they could help the companies evolve faster.Simply by specifying to them what they need as official government cars,patrol cars and other security vehicles.
That way the billions spent on foreign countries bringing such could be minimize and our local products boasted.Even if they don't meet foreign standard,challenge them with a specification that meets your desired targets.After all you are a client.Your experts help them reach such goals.
Government should have long made it policy to patronize only cars built partially or wholly in Nigeria.So that we could keep them afloat.I don't see why we buy Honda and Toyota.Since they have refused to be Nigerian.Atleast close the doors on car import by government and give a duration of say 10Years.after which you open them again.

Wao! This is wonderful. I'm proud to be a Nigerian

Made in nigeria not nnewi,let's stop all this tribal bashing.

I really need more information on this. This is a welcome trend and must be encouraged. A country that uses most of its workforce and produce things they need internally is the way to go and Nigeria must strive for self sufficience. Kudos.

moving forward

Well done to those involved in this effort. We need four or five more of these indigenous car manufacturers, so they compete with one another and drive down prices. Great stuff.