By Dennis Agbo

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama has brokered a bilateral trade proposal between the Republic of Jamaica and Nigeria, commencing with the exportation of made-in-Nigeria Innoson Vehicles to Kingston town.

In an inspection visit to the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company in Nnewi, Anambra state, on Saturday, the Jamaican High Commissioner in Nigeria, Reid Esmond St Clair said that the vehicle manufacturing company was of a high standard, expressing confidence that the visit will open another window of bilateral trade between Nigeria and Jamaica.

The High Commissioner said: “It’s indeed an opportunity for me to come here to witness this great exercise taking place here in Nigeria. In Jamaica we are not used to vehicle manufacturing taking place in the traditional contest, but it’s a tremendous opportunity for us to witness vehicle manufacturing taking place here in Nigeria with our brothers in the south and it’s an opportunity to discuss commercial opportunities with Nigeria.

“We will go through dialogue, when I go back to my stakeholders at home, we will look at the time lines. I am very impressed with what I’ve seen in the factory, it is indeed top class and I will encourage my people to come and see for themselves because it’s of very high standard and I say congratulations to the management and the team who have been doing so well here. This visit could be a start of something great and I am very grateful to Mr. Onyeama for making this visit possible for me.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Onyeama, stated that the Innoson vehicle manufacturing company was a world class standard comparable to other motor manufacturing companies he has seen in Iran and elsewhere.

“Left to me, every government official should be obliged to buy a Nigerian manufactured car and Innoson is the only one, of course it’s just a presidential Executive order that requires government officials in Nigeria to buy made in Nigeria and I think that has to be imposed, made mandatory, whether it’s cheaper or not because every other country does it. In France it’s impossible to see a government official driving a non-French car, same in Japan, in Korea, in the US and in UK for that matter; and so we have to also do the same here so as to encourage our people and demystify technology,” Onyeama said.

The minister disclosed that apart from Jamaica, the federal government recently delivered some Innoson vehicles to Mali and other West African countries, noting that in the case of Jamaica, “the Caribbean country is considered as our brothers and sisters and we want to increase the level of trade among ourselves.

“The High commissioner was instrumental in initiating direct air travel between Nigeria and Jamaica and other Caribbean countries and this is part of that collaboration and trade amongst our countries.”

The Chairman of Innoson group of companies, Chief Innocent Chukwuma used the opportunity to assure users of the IVM motors that spare parts for all the companies brands of vehicles were available in major motor spare parts markets.

According to Chukwuma “I am a spare parts expert; I’ve been in spare parts for forty years. Anybody who is using an Innoson vehicle that cannot find the spare parts should tell us where he is located and we will tell him the particular shop where he can get it. Most of the dealers nationwide are our boys and we are all working together to make the spare parts available everywhere.

“If you go to the coal camp spare parts market in Enugu, for instance, Innoson motor spare parts are everywhere and if you are finding it difficult, you should call us and we will tell you which particular shop you should go to. Our engine is like the normal engine with the other vehicles and so there is not much difference in spare parts.”

He commended the government for necessary support it has been giving the auto company, stating that with the way the government supports manufacturers, every serious manufacturer is bound to succeed in Nigeria.

Earlier in a courtesy call to the Traditional Ruler of Nnewi community, HRH Igwe K.O.N Orizu III, the monarch said that Nnewi was the Japan of African, which Jamaica would henceforth be added among other countries patronizing Innoson motors and motorcycles.

The 98 years monarch who has been on the throne for 60 years however said that a major challenge in the community was electric power supply, noting that even after the Nigerian civil war ended, the Igbo people rose from the ashes and have continued to grow.