By Andrew Rapulu Udeh

HARD work does not kill. The seed of success is sometimes best sown in the field of despair. And so, when Chief Innocent Chukwuma set out to form a business name “INNOSON “ little did he know that something incredible was ahead of him. Even in 1982 when Innoson Nigeria Limited was incorporated to merely sell Tyres and Motorcycle spare parts at Nkwo Nnewi, Anambra State, the real message was yet unknown.

However, being the first indigenous company after Leventis and Boulous Enterprises to bring motorcycles into Nigeria was an eye-opening and a strong signal that he was destined to be great. Then two years after, exactly 1994, when the voyage to China began, little did he know that he was embarking on a mission that would give Nigeria economy a boost.

Chukwuma, a determined and unassuming man of vision delved in with two strong business ideas: “Invention and innovation”, the former simply to create a unique idea that would usher in a breakthrough in motorcycle spare parts while the later was to make positive changes in efficiency, productivity and quality.

The first Nigerian whose invention of having 240 units of Complete knock Down (CKD) machines instead of normal 40 units of Built- up machines in a container thereby crashing the prevailing market price down to N50,000 from N100,000.

Six years after, 1990 precisely, his desire of being a dominant player in industrial sector unveiled. His mission was to satisfy the yawning gap in the sector, particularly the industrial and household plastic requirements of clients by using the highest standard automation and technology.

He then assembled well motivated and trained indigenous workforce as well as the technical partners from China. Innoson motorcycle in no distant period became a strong force in Nigerian market. The brand became a must demand for private and corporate organizations.

According to Chief Chukwuma, the joy of contributing towards the economic development of Nigeria by way of technological transfer, employment generation and competitive pricing of motorcycles, plastics and automobiles were upper most in my mind” In 1995, a fully automated motorcycle assembly plant was established at Nnewi, Anambra State, thus became the first fully indigenous motorcycle maker to join A.G Leventis Plc and Boulous Enterprises.

Buoyed by the success of Innoson motorcycle, Chukwuma enlarged his industrial coast by going into plastic and allied products. That was in 2002, the year Innoson Technical and Industrial Company was incorporated. And the objective was to manufacture first class plastic products for household use, industrial applications and export. With state of the art facilities the plant eventually became the largest plastic factory in west-Africa, with over 150 product lines.

Yet Chief Chukwuma continued venturing, perhaps to fulfill the divine mission of making Innoson a global brand. In February 2009, the first made in Nigeria vehicle emerged! Under another subsidiary, Innoson Vehicle manufacturing Company Ltd. (IVM) the dream became a reality at Nnewi.

It was an ultra modern auto plant producing intra and inter-city buses of various capacities, trucks and pick-up vans, tricycles as well as sports utility vehicles (SUV) with at least 70 percent local content. Already, Auto Star Company, Ekeson Motors, Orizu Motors, God is Good motors, Eastern Mass are among the transporters using Innoson buses, while Enugu, Anambra and Imo State Governments have differently patronized the auto manufacturing company.

Chukwuma enthused: “I am sure we have not left anyone in doubt that we are set to surpass records and re-write the history of automobile industry in Nigeria as we earlier did in the motorcycle and plastic sub-sector. I am also aware that some of our initial critics are being stunned and dazzled”.

Chukwuma’s innovative spirit shifted to tyres and tubes manufacturing under another subsidiary, “General Tyres and Tubes Company Ltd”. Located at Emene, an industrial out skirt of Enugu, the huge factory in collaboration with his Chinese partners decided to fill the vacuum created in tyre manufacturing in Nigeria.

Indeed, Innoson brandhas contributed tremendously towards the successful transfer of Chinese technology to Nigeria. The evidence on the ground proves that. On record, the Innoson Group boast of over 7,000 indigenous workers of diverse disciplines scattered in various subsidiaries nationwide .