… As atlas Copco introduces new product lines in Nigeria

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

THE Swedish government has announced its readiness to partner with Nigeria in its drives towards economic growth and play a major role in Nigeria’s path to becoming one of the top 20 leading economies in the world by 2020.

Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Sweden, Markus Lundgren and the General Manager, Operations of Atlas Copco, Patrik Rylander, said Nigeria was a very attractive trade destinations during product launch and awareness for the full operation of the Company in Nigeria, in Abuja.

Lundgren expressed satisfaction that Nigeria had been recording steady growth during the past decade noting that the nation’s GDP at purchasing power parity doubled from $170.7 billion in 2005 to $374.3 billion in 2010.

According to him the economy was forecasted by the International Monetary Fund to be growing at the rate of 7.3 per cent in 2011 with indication that Nigeria’s share of sub-Africa’s overall GDP will rise from 14 per cent in 2008 to 25 per cent by 2014. The Envoy noted that Nigeria was the Sweden’s second largest trading partner in sub-Sahara Africa, adding that a number of Swedish companies have been established in the country to tap into Nigeria market potential.

He commended the management of Atlas Copco for seeing ahead in the market by bringing the full operation of the firm into Nigeria with different products that will aid the development and growth of Nigeria, adding the success recorded within the last two years of its operations in Nigeria speaks volume of the length it will go.
In his address, the General Manager Operations, Patrik Rylander explained that Atlas Copco was a world leading provider of industrial productivity solutions with headquarter in Sweden, with its global reach spanning more than 170 markets with over 34, 000 employees. He stated the Company in coming to Nigeria fully was bringing its time tested core values interaction, innovation and commitments embedded in its growth through organic and acquisitions.

According to him, Atlas Copco is set to contribute to the budding market in Nigeria, though it has maintained presence with its Sales and Technical support in Nigeria established 25 years ago through RT brscoe, a distributor of its compressor product portfolio only.

“Atlas Copco started a new customer center in Ghana in 1992 to serve the country’s construction, mining. However during expansion, word of mouth reached Nigeria and more orders started coming from Nigeria. The delegation from Ghana did a market survey and proposed to establish a new customer centre in Nigeria. More market activities started and during 2008, the first major order came from Dangote group of 10 million Euro and in 2009, the new customer center was launched with seven employees but today, we have 30 employees”, he stated.