dnotion
The Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin, said the country is planning to move from assembling semi-knock down (SKD) parts to completely knockdown (CKD) parts, saying there is capacity for such production.
Osanipin also said made-in-Nigeria components would be part of the CKD production with the agency ensuring that process is done. He stated this when his team paid a courtesy visit to Lanre Shittu Motors (LSM) in Lagos.
He commended the company for choosing its strength in the pickup and truck segment saying the company has shown capacity and capability over the years in the automotive space.
He said: “I am impressed with what I saw here. We came here to look at the process. We have plans to move from SKD to CKD. We are here to look at what they are doing and make it happen here in Nigeria. Gradually we are moving from SKD to CKD.
“We are ready for compressed natural gas (CNG). Nigerian assemblers are ready for the CNG adoption. Compared to petrol it is cheaper. I believe we are ready for CNG. I am also impressed with the human capital development of LSM. I have seen the capacity and ability to deliver to clients. We want to go beyond that. We want to go beyond SKD. We want to see Nigerian components in the assemblage of vehicles in Nigeria. The first support is patronage.
“Let us replicate what we have done in the truck business. The new trucks you see in Nigeria today are assembled in Nigeria. Nigerians have embraced that. Let’s now replicate that with a bus. People who invest in buses are involved in doing business. We are here to lend our support to the company.”
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LSM, Taiwo Shittu, said some Nigerians are passionate about investing in the automotive business.
“We appreciate the NADDC for coming down to visit our facility. We have been able to show the truck assembling plant, where we assemble trucks alone from the Chassis to the complete truck. We have also shifted to pickups.
“In the last six months, we were more proactive about the CNG space. When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removed the subsidy on petrol, we knew the drift would be on CNG. We have mass transit buses at the Port that will run on CNG. The cost of CNG is far better for saving costs. We are converting any type of vehicle to CNG,” he said.
adminis
