…As FAW Truck opens business in Nigeria

By Theodore Opara

The National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC  has appealed to the Federal Government to grant concessions to local auto assemblers in the country to source foreign exchange for the development of the local auto assembly plants. Mr. Luqman Mamudu, Director, Policy and Planning, National Automotive Design and Development Council, made this appeal at the opening of Perfection Motors Nigeria Limited FAW Truck plant and showroom in Ikeja, Lagos  recently.

L-R: Managing Director of FAW, China, Wang Zhi Jian; acting Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Li Yong; Chairman of Lee group, S.F Lee; Director of Policy and Planning, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Luqman Mamudu; and General Manager of Perfection Motors Company Limited, Mr. Adrian Fourie; at the FAW auto assembly plant, when FAW and Perfection Motors Company Limited unveiled the FAW plant, showroom and workshop in Ikeja, Lagos recently.

Mr. Mamudu noted that the council was aware of the challenges facing the local assemblers in  sourcing foreign exchange for the development of their plants. “We hope that this will soon be resolved and government will give priority to auto assemblers because they create jobs for  Nigerians,” he said.

Commending the Perfection Motor Company and FAW Truck managements, for setting up a world class plant in Nigeria, the NADDC official said: “By doing this, you have opened a pipeline for investment in Nigeria.

Pipeline for investment

“This is what we are targeting with the new auto policy. We make it easy for companies to settle down with SKD and develop to CKD,” adding that the decision to set up the plant by the company is helping the government’s present agenda of diversifying the economy. Perfection Motors Company Limited in collaboration with FAW, China, last Tuesday opened a Semi Knock Down, SKD, auto assembly line in Lagos, capable of producing about 1000 vehicles annually. Perfection Motors is the sole representative of FAW Trucks in Nigeria.

Speaking at the official opening of the assembly plant and showroom, the General Manager, Perfection Motors Company Limited, which is a member of the Lee group in Nigeria, Mr. Adrian Fourie said “in view of the fact that we will outgrow this assembly line in the next three years, we will be breaking ground on the future CKD (Complete Knock Down) assembly plant in Ogiju, with construction starting later this year.”

According to Fourie, with this development, his company is positioned to provide “first class sales, after-sales and spare parts to Nigerians.” “FAW being one of China’s biggest and most prestigious heavy duty vehicles manufacturers, is regarded as the number one selling heavy duty vehicle in China. Partnering with FAW has given us the confidence as a group to invest, as you know, we are bringing a quality brand to Nigeria. We believe that the Nigerian public deserve the best as far as price and quality are concerned”.

The General Manager noted; “with over 50 years of experience and over 200 vehicles already on the road, our group truly understands the needs of the Nigerian people and the Nigeria transport industry as a whole.”

Explaining further that his company has taken the state of the Nigerian roads into consideration, Fourie said “we decided to retain the Euro 2 engine arrangement as the mechanical injector pump and injectors are easier and more cost effective to maintain, repairs can be done on the road without the need for computerised diagnostic equipment.” Dealership networks, according to him, are to be established in Kano, Kaduna, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

Managing Director of FAW, China, Wang Zhi Jian who witnessed the event alongside the Chairman of Lee Group, S.F Lee, stated that his company was delighted to work with the Lee group in Nigeria, noting that after South Africa and Kenya, Nigeria is the third African country with the FAW presence in Africa. Acting Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Li Yong, in his remarks, stated that FAW is a well established Chinese auto brand with international reckoning, which will compete favourably in the Nigerian market.

In his remarks, the Director of Policy and Planning, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Luqman Mamudu, expressed the delight over the Federal Government opening  the FAW assembly line in Lagos, saying, it will create more jobs. Mamudu added that the development of the local auto industry will contribute its quota in the government’s quest to diversify the country’s economy, even as he said the auto policy is being implemented in phases.

FAW Group is a global leader in the vehicle manufacturing industry with a 60-year history of innovation. Founded in 1953, FAW employs 120,000 people around the world and sells products in over 70 countries. Perfection Motors Company Limited, as the official representative of FAW in Nigeria, has in stock three different models of the FAW brand: the J6 tractor head, J5 tractor head and the J5 tipper.

The J6 tractor head, with Model number : CA4250P66K24T1A4E, comes with the following specifications: Drive Type : 6×4; Dimension (mm): 7160 x 2500 x 3560;  Power (HP): 375; Capacity of Fuel Tank (L): 400; Passengers : 2 (with sleeping bed)  and Top Speed (km/h): 98.  The J5 tractor head comes with Drive Type : 6×4 6×4; Dimension (mm): 6793 × 2490 × 3386 / 7093 × 2500 × 3386; Power KW / (r/min): 280 / 2200 (380HP) / 309 / 2200 (420HP)

Capacity of Fuel Tank (L):   400 / 500 and two passengers with sleeping bed. Coming with a flat head is the J5 tipper with a single cab, 4×2 rear wheel drive; Dimension (mm): 5860 × 1900 × 2300; Power KW / (r/min): 76 / 3600  and a 400 litre fuel tank capacity.