Toyota, FG officials to meet in Germany over assembly plant

By Theodore Opara

Officials of Toyota Motor Corporation Japan and the Federal Government’s team led by the Minister of Industry,  Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga will be meeting in Germany on Friday to discuss the possibility of setting up a Toyota assembly plant in Nigeria, under the Federal government’s new auto policy.

The meeting which would have held earlier in Nigeria was shifted to Germany due to the outbreak of Ebola disease in Nigeria.


According to a Vanguard source, the two parties will be meeting to finalise discussing on the setting up of Toyota plant in Nigeria, aimed at making some Toyota models more affordable to Nigerians.

The source disclosed that if the meeting is concluded favourably, Toyota will be joining 22 other auto companies in Nigeria who have signed commitments with technical partners to set up assembly operations in the country.

The 22 companies that have shown interest include: six car/SUV companies, four pickup trucks companies, six mini-buses, manufacturers, five bus companies and eight truck companies.

The source further noted that with the keying in of Toyota and Ford into the policy, the major automotive companies across the world have joined in the Federal government’s auto policy which is also a boost to the policy that is targeted at making new vehicles affordable and available to Nigerians.

As it stands all the 22 auto companies have so far acquired land and/or factory for assembly operations, while all, except two have completed their feasibility studies.
Two out of the 22 companies have started building plants while three will start assembly operations before the end of the year. Six have started assembly operation, the same disclosed.

PAN Nigeria in July 2014 resumed production of Peugeot 301 cars in Kaduna while VON is assemblying Nissan and Hyundai vehicles at their plant in Lagos. Innoson Autos is schedule to commence car production in their Enugu plant where it has been producing buses and pickup.

Culled from: http://www.vanguardngr.com