Great news coming from Africa’s largest economy.
Honda Automobile Western Africa, a wholly-owned subsidiary, anounced that it had begun local assembly of the Accord Sedan in Lagos, Nigeria. Annual production capacity of the Accord is 1,000 units and this will be Honda’s first car plant in Africa.
The company established the car plant by installing automobile production facilities and equipment within the property of the existing Honda motorcycle production plant.
The automaker began motorcycle production and sales in Nigeria in 1980. In 2013, it established a local automobile business subsidiary and began imports and sales. Honda Motors’ new president and chief executive officer, Takahiro Hachigo, in a speech in Tokyo last week, heralded the Nigerian assembly plant. Honda views Africa as a new growth market.
According Yoshi Yamane, Honda Motors senior managing officer and director, “I expect that this initiative will lead to a great leap in our automobile business in Nigeria and become a first step toward expansion to the entire African market.”
“These are Made-in-Nigerian Vehicles. Innoson, Pan, Nissan, Hyundai factories in Nigeria employ people in jobs and positions that never existed before President Jonathan. Federal Government now uses Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jeeps and Patrol Vehicles made by Nigerians”.
