The Nation Newspaper

Category: Motoring

  • Cars to watch in 2014

    Cars to watch in 2014

    This year, automakers are gearing up for what may become one of the most productive years in recent memory. Manufacturers have big plans slated for the year, as the re-energised auto market continues to grow and nation’s economic makes slow but steady progress. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO writes with agency reports

    While 2014 will be a big year for many highly anticipated 2015 model year releases, it will have plenty of big new vehicles from its own model year, as well. From a new entry-level model for Maserati to Jeep’s perhaps misguided efforts to renew the Cherokee name, here are 10 cars for the 2014 model year that symbolises some big changes at their respective manufacturers.

    Cadillac ELR

    The Cadillac ELR has been met with mixed sentiment since its introduction, as many see the car as a fancied-up Chevrolet Volt that is not worth its $75,000 sticker price while others see it as an important step in offering a luxury car that prides efficiency over power and performance. Regardless of where opinions fall, the ELR is an important car for Cadillac, as it represents a large step toward the growing trend of smaller, compact luxury cars aimed at a certain audience that has previously been too small for companies to concern themselves with.

    Jaguar F-Type

    Jaguar has built a legendary history via its E-Type roadsters from decades past, and the company is hoping to continue that trend with the new F-Type, its latest shot at the two-seater market. The F-Type has been met with largely positive reviews and enthusiasm, and appears to offer one of the best driving experiences for the coming year. While the base car is no slouch with a 340-horsepower V6, the monstrous 550-horsepower F-Type R is the model that folks will be talking about.

    Mazda6

    Mazda’s vehicles have largely sat on the sidelines as bigger companies duke it out for market share, though it is not for lack of quality, as the 2014 Mazda6 indicates. While the gasoline models available now offer near-class leading fuel efficiency — in the right spec, look for 40 miles per gallon highway — Mazda will be bringing a diesel edition in the spring, which will promise even further increases in efficiency.

    Acura RLX

    Like the Cadillac ELR, the new Acura is aimed more at buyers looking for a car with greater efficiency but is still wrapped in leather and pampers its occupants. It is Acura’s latest entry to the large sedan market, and one of the few — if not the only — models not offering a V8. Instead, buyers can choose Acura’s clever torque-vectoring three-motor hybrid system, with gets nearly 400 horsepower and is built around a V6. It offers 30 miles per gallon combined, which isn’t spectacular in a hybrid context but is still impressive for a sedan of its stature.

    Jeep Cherokee

    A quick perusal shows that diehard Jeep fans are not quite smitten with the Cherokee’s new looks, but like it or not, this is the vehicle burdened with bringing back the Cherokee name, which in its earlier forms enjoyed a sort of cult status among off-roaders and utility aficionados alike. While the new model has not been warmly welcomed by Jeep’s fan base, there seems to be little wrong with it from a capability point of view. “The 2014 Cherokee feels planted on the road, more car-like than truck-like, with crisp steering, well-damped body motions, little or no roll in corners, and pinpoint braking control. The structure is solid, with no creaks or groans, even over seriously uneven terrain,” Car and Driver notes in its review.

    Chevrolet Corvette

    The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette has made numerous appearances on these kinds of lists, but for good reason: From what critics industry wide have been saying about the car, it is truly an amazing automobile, which addresses the prior weaknesses of the former models while adding so much more. A healthy 460 horsepower and a similar amount of torque will ensure no Corvette driver is ever lacking for power, but some clever computer applications and use of software can afford the ‘Vette about 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

    Mercedes-Benz CLA Class

    The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a big step for Mercedes’ U.S. division, as it will become the smallest Benz that the company has on sale here. It will also be the most affordable, with a base price just shy of $30,000. However, this by no means indicates that the CLA is a budget car; the compact sedan looks like a premium vehicle from just about every angle, which carries on inside, as well. Its 208 horsepower won’t be found in the record books, but the resulting 26 miles per gallon in the city and 38 on the highway make it one of the most efficient Benzes around.

    Volvo V60

    After a multiyear hiatus, Volvo will be returning with a wagon that is slotted below the XC70 and based on its flagship S60 sedan. The recently announced base price of $35,300 implies a $2,900 premium over the S60 and an $800 premium over the larger XC70, though the latter is an older vehicle. The V60 will be taking the place of the V70, which was pulled from the U.S. market about four years ago. The new V60 will likely carry on Volvo’s legacy of impeccable safety and offer all the comforts found in the S60 in a more utility-friendly format.

    Maserati Ghibli

    Maserati has historically been seen as a sort of higher-volume sibling of Ferrari, albeit still far lower in sales than other luxury manufacturers. In a bid to grow its footprint in the luxury auto world, Maserati has introduced the Ghibli — revived it, technically — a smaller version of the brand’s Quattroporte flagship. Starting at a base price of around $66,000, it is far and away the cheapest Maserati on the market at about half the cost of a base Quattroporte, thus making it one of the brand’s most significant cars for 2014.

    Kia Cadenza

    The Kia Cadenza is another attempt by the Korean manufacturer in its quest initiated by the ill-fated Amanti to determine what customers’ price threshold for the brand will be. While Kia built its name on economy cars and affordable compacts, it has been steadily working its way further upstream in efforts to become a serious luxury contender. The $35,000 price tag is not unheard of for an entry-level luxury vehicle, but it is fairly unknown territory for Kia. The Cadenza, along with the Kia K900, will be leading the Korean automaker’s charge to compete with the likes of Lexus and Infiniti.

     

  • Will electric cars be solar powered soon?

    Will electric cars be solar powered soon?

    Ford will make a debut that taps into solar charging this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, according to CNN Money. The innovation was made possible thanks to a roof covered with solar cells provided by SunPower. For investors in the solar and electric vehicle spaces, it is well known that the connection between the two macro developments is basically inseparable – no wonder Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk is also the CEO of SolarCity. But such an early move to solar-powered cars is somewhat of a surprise.

    The nice thing about a battery is that it is simply a way to store energy. How exactly the energy in the battery is created can vary; Sunshine, of course, would be the most sensible source. Sunshine has greater potential than any other source for energy – approximately 23,000 TWy annually, actually. This potentially dwarfs the second-largest source of energy, coal, at 900 TWy in total reserves. Effectively tapping into solar power, therefore, could potentially be a goldmine for the advent of electric cars.Though the concept is untested in the market, Ford sold approximately 85,000 hybrids and electric vehicles in 2013 – that is a meaningful potential addressable market for SunPower, who just reported only $2.5 billion in revenue in the trailing 12 months. The idea of solar-powered vehicles has also appeared to encourage investors in SolarCity; shares shot up 6 per cent last week.

    Tapping into solar power could potentially be a goldmine for the advent of electric cars. Though Ford’s move to roofs covered in solar cells is impressive, the benefits are currently very few.

    Ford says the solar-charging roof will be built into a version of the C-Max Energi plug-in car that is already sold by the company. Dubbed the C-Max Solar Energi, it will only go about 21 miles on an electric charge – just like the C-Max Energi. The vehicle roof only provides an eight-kilowatt incremental charge throughout the day. The benefits from solar power, therefore, aren’t enough for the model to ditch the gasoline tank.

    If solar technology continues to improve, Tesla could consider a similar move at some point in the future. Musk’s two publicly traded companies are already working together, in fact. On Dec. 4, SolarCity announced a partnership with Tesla to use the electric-car manufacturer’s batteries as a “smart energy storage system.” The battery technology combined with solar power provides two major benefits: It reduces energy costs by using stored electricity at peak demand, and it provides backup power during grid outages.

    Solar power may only provide marginal benefits for the world today, but the sun’s enormous potential should not be ignored. Ford’s vote of confidence in both solar power and electric cars certainly isn’t a reason to go out and buy every electric car and solar stock. But it is important enough news to reevaluate thoughts on the potential of the energy source and its implications on relevant industries.

  • The driver’s registration blues in Lagos

    The driver’s registration blues in Lagos

    The registration of commercial bus operators in  Lagos State, which  ended  last week, suffered a low turn out. This, ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE writes, may impede government’s plan for a safe, reliable and affordable public transportation. 

    As the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa assessed the sector last Tuesday, it was clear that compliance to the two-month long registration of stakeholders in the public transportation sector was abysmally poor.

    On November 1, last year, Opeifa directed commercial buses operators to register at designated places within 60 days. After the expiration of the exercise, he said, the government would not hesitate to wield the big stick.

    Last Tuesday, the last day of the deadline, Opeifa was faced with the reality of poor compliance.

    He could not fathom where the problem came from – whether it was a defiance of the law by operators, or poor enlightenment by his ministry to enlist support for the project which is in furtherance of the Road Traffic Law 2012.

    He resolved to enforce the law. Going by the directive, any operator who flouts the law will be prosecuted. He said he was committed to enforcing and not bending the rules.

    The snag is that less than 10 percent of the projected number of operators came out to register.

    According to the directive, commercial bus owners are expected to register at any of the 21 Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) centres in the state; drivers and conductors are supposed to go to any of the five offices of the Driver’s Institute to register and have their biometric data captured.

    At the unveiling of the state’s transportation, Opeifa lamented that the turnout was poor. Of the over 100,000 commercial bus drivers and about 50,000 taxi drivers in the state, those who registered for the exercise were less than one per cent.

    He said: “I must admit here that the response of our people to this initiative had been very poor. Less than one percent of those we are expecting to register had showed up, and I can only call upon them to hasten up and register. No one should try our resolve to enforce the law.”

    Many of those who came out to register, he said, were tricycle operators and a handful of owners all less than 1,000. This is a far cry from what was expected at this time. The commissioner foreclosed extension of the December 31, 2013 deadline.

    “Why should we consider an extension when those concerned (the drivers, conductors and bus owners), have not asked for it? In any case, we have postponed this registration at least once before we all decided to begin in November, it is either we are all decided this is the right way to go or be ready to be whipped into line,” he had said.

    For Opeifa, the new initiative is full of goodies for stakeholders in the public transportation sector. But much more, government has the backing of the law in ensuring compliance with provisions 20, and 23-27 of the Road Traffic Law 2012.

    Besides enabling the state to have a reliable data of professional drivers in the public transport sector, the exercise aims at enhancing the image of the sector and making operators become more professional to improve their economic status.

    Drivers and conductors, are expected to proceed to any of the five LASDRI offices for necessary certification after which all those who scaled through would be registered and issued with an identity card. Anyone who failed would be put on probation and he is expected to have cleared his grey areas within the stipulated time or risk withdrawal of his operational licence.

    Bus owners are not insulated. At any of the 21 VIS centres where these set of operators are expected to appear for assessment, their vehicles are expected to be inspected and where they couldn’t meet standard road worthiness, the operator’s vehicle licence could be temporarily withdrawn and the vehicle put on hold until all grey areas are fixed, failure of which might lead to a technical withdrawal of the commercial vehicle hackney permit and vehicle licence.

    Added to these is the reintroduction of the routing system, which aims at ensuring that buses are distributed evenly to areas where they would be most needed. This is in addition to the adoption of uniforms, badge and identification card to be issued to all operators – drivers and conductors, who are expected not only to wear the uniforms- a blue long-sleeved apron for drivers and short-sleeved variant for the conductors.

    The conductors and drivers are expected to always adorn their uniforms with a badge that would bear their names.

    Listing the advantages accruable from this new initiative, Opeifa said, no longer would any bus operating on the public transportation system be categorised as unsafe and no longer would any bus be hijacked for criminal activity as not only would the names of drivers and conductors be written on their aprons, the name and details of the vehicle owners would also be pasted in the bus. Any aggrieved passenger could report his or her grievances to the Ministry with details and all those connected with the buses would be contacted using the details provided in the registration documents.

    An added incentive aimed at further adding value to public transportation is the fact that all at the commencement of the scheme would be enjoined to have an insurance cover for all passengers.

    According to Opeifa, all public transportation passengers would, henceforth, be covered by an insurance policy that would enable anyone involved in an accident be treated at any hospital in the state, while a premium would also be paid to families of any victim in case of death.

    The commissioner added that when fully on stream, Lagosians who owns cars would be willing to patronise public transportation and gradually stop putting their vehicles on the road.

    He also assured that the routing initiative would ensure that buses are adequately deplored to areas where they would be needed and thus ensure an increase in the profitability of the venture as drivers would no longer be idle at off peak periods whether day or night.

    Going forward, he said, the government would only approve 16-passenger buses to be used as commercial passenger buses, adding that buses with lower carriage capacity as obtains on most routes in the state are only being allowed as part of the take-off of the new system, adding that no longer would any bus lower than 12 passenger be allowed to operate on any of the state roads.

    But the drivers and conductors affected by this policy think differently. Most drivers, who spoke with The Nation were surprised that the registration, closed. They were, however, non-pulsed about what fate lies ahead for those who defaulted in registering before the deadline.

    “We really do not have much information about this initiative,” a driver, Saidi Olarenwaju said on Tuesday. He said though he did not have a conductor, he and his boss (the bus owner) had thought the registration would be on till the end of January.

    He continued: “The information we had concerning the registration was scanty. Government never attempted to drum awareness to the exercise. Now that the exercise had closed, I hope they would extend it so that most of us who are yet to register would not be denied the opportunity.”

    Another driver who simply identified himself as Wasiu said he couldn’t register because he had been doing the body works of his vehicle since November.

    He wondered what would become of drivers such as he who were genuinely denied registration because their vehicles were off the road during the 60-day exercise.

    Yet, another who did not want his name mentioned said some like him, have decided to be operating only at night to beat what he called the “draconian laws of the state government”.

    “We have drivers who operate only at night and they are still eating and are being able to pay their bills. If the government decided to drive those of us who are yet to register off the road, we would simply begin to operate at night,” he said.

    The driver, who revealed that none of his colleagues plying Agege-Oshodi route, had registered, wondered how many vehicles would be left on the road if government clamped down on those who were unable to register before the expiration of the deadline and drive them off the road.

    When told the advantage of the exercise, the driver said he never heard of the exercise and no one tried to educate him on its advantages. He stated that many of his colleagues were ignorant of the exercise, even as he pleaded that government considers an extension in order to capture more operators in the sector.

  • LAMATA moves to address e-payment challenges

    LAMATA moves to address e-payment challenges

    Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is working with the vendor of the e-ticketing system to resolve identified challenges associated with the payment platform.

    LAMATA, the regulator of the BRT and BFS systems, said it is not unaware of the challenges, which commuters have been experiencing with the use of the Lagos Connect Card, which was introduced in July, last year to improve commuters’ experience using the bus services

    In a statement, the agency said one of the major drawbacks of the system is the significant drop in the operator’s revenue, a development which had seriously affected its operational effectiveness, typified by the non-availability of the payment equipment on all the buses, a situation that has discouraged many users of the bus system.

    The drop in revenue has been linked to slow pick up of the scheme with large number of commuters still using paper tickets thereby making the discount offered on the e-ticket card non-effective.

    This is further worsened by the dishonesty displayed by some commuters who do not pay the correct fares by tapping in and tapping out after they travel short distance while remaining on the bus, thus robbing the operator of the expected revenue.

    According to LAMATA, the drop in revenue has continued to impact on the operator’s operational effectiveness, including deployment and servicing of validators among other responsibilities. This has necessitated the need to review fares for the minority undertaking short journeys.

    As a result, LAMATA has approved an adjustment in the minimum fare paid using the card to N50 during peak period and N45 during off peak period. The cost is still lower than the minimum fares of N70 for the paper tickets. The adjustment is to enable the operator recover cost in order to meet up recurrent expenses and overhead costs.

    LAMATA has assured that the new plan will ensure the fixing of all the identified teething challenges associated with the system which includes dysfunctional bus validators, non-availability of the Lagos Connect card at all stations, absence of bus validator on some buses and inability to top up at all stations, among others.

    In addition, LAMATA is working with the operator to ensure further re-fleeting with new buses by 2014, the refurbishment and upgrade of an agreed number of the existing buses every month and the revamp of the BFS system on the Iyana-Ipaja-Ikotun corridor. The BRT extension project from Mile 12-Ikorodu scheduled to be completed this year will also significantly improve the commuting experience on BRT. With the Lagos Connect card, commuters will also enjoy seamless travel from Ikorodu to CMS.

  • The Police motor central registration

    Does the equipment acquired to store the data have enough capacity to handle and process the data?

    •Is there any provision for data back-up equipment in case the main data bank crashes?

    •Are all the Police stations (big and small) equipped with computers, internet facilities and tracking equipment to render the services they promised?

    •How many of the Police officers have been trained on how to use the computers, internet and trackers?

    •If a car is snatched in Ikorodu, does the victim need to go to Victoria Island to get the vehicle data retrieved and the vehicle tracked? Are the Police communication and networking gadgets in proper shape?

    •Has the necessary failure-proof arrangement that been made to guarantee that the process does not take move than the 10 minutes promised by the Police Authority?

    •Are the Police stations equipped with alternative power supply to handle security and car theft cases when there is power failure?

    •Is there any provision for the maintenance of the equipment and the fuelling of the generators or will the Police depend on the complainants to service the equipment or fuel the generators as is the case in most Police Stations now?

    •Has adequate public enlightenment been done on the BCMR?

    •Has the Nigeria Police Authority examined if BCMR is not a duplication of what the FRSC and the State Motor Vehicle Licensing Authority are doing as regards Driver Licence and the new Plate Number? Is it not possible to upload the relevant Biometric data from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Motor Vehicle Licensing Authority and collect just N1,000 per applicant for this service?

    I encourage the Nigeria Police not to focus on income generation alone because a lot of money will surely be generated from the scheme at the rate of N1,500 for motorcycles/tricycles and N3,500 for other vehicles. They should however focus more attention on rendering the needed services to Nigerians without suffering us.

    Our lawmakers and other people in authority should stop sitting on the fence. They should take proactive steps to defend the interest of the less-privileged Nigerians in the hands of the Authorities that look stronger than them.

    Lastly, I want to use this opportunity to encourage all the Staff of government agencies and other government official to endeavour to take special course or read books on strategic policy and executive action with special focus on environmental analysis and diagnosis. This will greatly help them in policy Formulation and decision making.

  • Porsche’s golden jubilee

    Porsche’s golden jubilee

    Porsche Centre Lagos is celebrating with other dealerships worldwide as the Porsche 911 clocks 50 years in production.

    The reason is not far-etched. The number of vehicles that have made it to the half-century mark can be counted on one hand.

    Even the venerable Model T lasted barely two decades in production – despite Henry Ford’s stubbornness. So, it is not surprising that the folks at Porsche worldwide are celebrating.

    Porsche’s iconic 911 sports car made its debut 50 years ago on the stands at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

    To celebrate this success, Porsche has introduced a special anniversary edition at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, with a limited run of just 1,963 to honour the year the 911 made its debut.

    What is particularly unusual about the sports car’s longevity is the fact that, despite all the changes that have been made under the skin and to the interior, today’s Porsche 911 maintains the original’s basic exterior profile.

    When asked to create the latest model, designer Michael Mauer was quick to recognise some serious challenges. Though he was charged with coming up with something distinctive for the seventh-generation model, he knew that a radical redesign simply “wouldn’t be a 911.” That meant maintaining the distinctive silhouette—starting with the long hood, bulging headlamps, “flyline” roof and, of course, rear-engine layout.

    That did not mean standing still. Introduced last year, the Gen-7 model was a bit lower, wider and longer than the previous model. It was more aerodynamic and, defying conventional wisdom, more powerful while being about 16 per cent more fuel-efficient.

    Not all changes over the years have been uncontroversial; Porsche fanatics raised a fuss in 1998, when the maker abandoned the time-tested air-cooled 911 engine in favour of a more modern water-cooled power train. But the 911’s distinctive rear-mounted engine layout has held since day one.

    Porsche reported that it has sold 820,000 911s.

    The original design was sketched out by Ferdinand “Butzi” Porsche in 1959, and the auto was intended to serve as the replacement for the original 356.

    Delivered to showrooms in early 1964, the car was originally going to be called the Porsche 901, but the manufacturer had to make a quick change when French automaker Peugeot claimed a monopoly on using “0” in the middle of three numbers.

    A year after the European launch, the first 911 reached the United States, incidentally, going for a then-pricey $6,500. The base Porsche 911 Carrera model carries an MSRP of $83,050. Few get out of the showroom at that price, however, as Porsche traditionally makes almost every feature an option that rapidly drives up the price.

    And the 911 is really a family of variants, including models such as the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4S and the top-line turbo, with a base price of $138,450.

    The 911 50th Anniversary Edition will be offered in two unique colours: light-gray metallic and dark graphite. It will also feature a “two-tone 3-D-effect” badge on the rear marking it a “911 50” edition. The edition will be available in the U.S. for $124,100.

    But while the 911 is no longer the brand’s best-seller, it is the icon and generally rated the most popular of the German maker’s offerings. Indeed, in the 1999 international balloting for the Car of the Century, the Porsche 911 came in No. 5, behind the Model T and the Volkswagen Beetle—which just happens to trace its roots to the Porsche family.

  • Honda targets 10,000 unit sales in 2020

    Honda targets 10,000 unit sales in 2020

    Honda Motor Company (HMC) has set a target of 10,000 units sales in Nigeria by 2020.

    Managing Director, Honda Automobile Western Africa Limited (HAWA), Mr Takayuki Yamashita, said this during HMC partnership with The Honda Place (THP) Limited – a division of Stallion Group.

    Honda, it would be recalled, recently launched improved versions of the Civic, Accord and CR-V. Other impressive Honda range includes Pilot, Odyssey, Crosstour and City.

    At a media parley to announce the establishment of its subsidiary HAWA in partnership with THP, Honda Chief Operating Officer for Regional Operations (Europe, the Middle and Near East and Africa), Mr Manabu Nishimae, pledged that HMC will strengthen its presence in Nigeria.

    At the the event were representatives from the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria and representatives from Honda Japan.

    Nishimae said the establishment of Honda’s liaison office in Nigeria was a strategy to develop and enhance Honda’s business in Nigeria, the most populous country in the region where continuous growth is envisaged.

    Yamashita told motoring correspondents that HAWA would oversee marketing support initiatives as well as sustainable business development and customers’ satisfaction, while THP takes charge of sales and service operations.

    He emphasised that the basic idea behind the move was to “connect the market with Honda’s global resources and accelerate the expansion of our business in Nigeria.”

    Reiterating Honda’s commitment to deliver “Three Joys,” Yamashita elaborated further saying “there is “Joy of Buying” for customers first, dealer’s “Joy of Selling”, and Honda’s “Joy of Creating” should follow. Together with our partner THP Limited, we will put customer’s “Joy of Buying” first, no matter what, and no matter when”.

    Yamashita said Honda would fully support THP, taking advantage of Honda experience of 50 years all over the world, selling automobiles.

    Also announcing his intentions to prioritise after sales services for Honda products in the country, Yamashita said the company would ensure continuous satisfaction of the existing and future customers throughout the ownership.

    He, however, commended THP for investing in a new facility in Lekki area that would enhance sales and aftersales operations.

  • Volvo to open new service centre

    Volvo to open new service centre

    The auto giant Volvo is planning to widen its investments in Nigeria.

    The Head, Marketing/Logistics, Adphil Transport Company Limited (ATC Nigeria), Ade Ojuoko made this known during an interactive session with journalists.

    Ojuoko, whose company is the sole distributor of Volvo trucks, Volvo construction equipment, Volvo Penta and bus in the country, said the company is ready to strengthen its after-sales service department to allow clients to abreast themselves with the Volvo brands in the country.

    Speaking on the brand’s trucks inauguration, the marketing manager explained that the company was not new to the market, adding that the brand name- Volvo speaks volume internationally.

    “As you can see, we are not relatively new in the Nigerian market as an automobile manufacturing brand; the difference is that Volvo today is talking to you as a truck, industrial and earth moving equipment.

    “Our commitment is to improve and set new records in sales and after sales support.

    “With our global experience in other West African countries and a national presence, we guarantee second-to-none sales, service and maintenance to suit our customers’ need; to ensure this we have workshops in Lagos and Abuja, offices in Port-Harcourt and Kano and a brand new technical training centre in Abuja,” he added.

    According to him, as the authorised dealer for Volvo brands, the company has the following products for construction and road maintenance: tractor heads tipper trucks, excavators, pipe laying equipment, eheel loaders, motor graders, articulated haulers, Rollers, Swam bogie, Paver for Asphalt and Penta (Boat engines and Industrial engines).

  • Toyota holds skills contest

    Toyota holds skills contest

    Toyota (Nigeria) Limited (TNL) has held the Toyota National Skills Contest (Intermediate Test). Five technicians qualified for the final rounds of the Test three, which will hold in November this year.

    According to company, the contest is in alignment with Toyota Motor Corporation’s Customer Service philosophy and it is aimed at enabling dealer technicians to continuously acquire new skills and deliver next level expertise in the area of after sales service to Toyota customers in the country.

    TNL Managing Director Mr Chandrasheker Thampy said the contest is to expose dealer technicians to world class technical know-how.

    This, he said, would avail their customers with excellent after sales experience in the business. The overall winner of the final rounds of the contest would proceed on an all expense paid trip to Toyota Motor Corporation, in Japan to compete on the global stage to widen their knowledge and understanding of Toyota service philosophy.

    At the end of the contest, Mr KayodeAdeoye and Mr Julius Odiboh, both of R. T. Briscoe; Mr OkeYusuf and Miss Faith Macwenboth of Elizade Nigeria Limited and Mr Simeon Jimoh of Mandilas qualified.

  • PAN gets new board

    PAN gets new board

    Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) has reconstituted the Board of PAN Nigeria Limited following the successful restructuring of the automobile company’s debt for equity swap.

    The new Board has Yariman Zazzau, Alhaji Mohammed Munir Ja’afaru, as Chairman.

    In 2008 banking industry had experienced crises evidenced by huge number of non-performing loans (NPL), inadequate capital ratio and poor corporate governance in many of the banks. AMCON was established on July 19, 2010 to help revive and stabilise the economy by resolving the NPL.

    The Board also has Mr. Ibrahim Boyi as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, while Mr Jumat Oluwafuyi Alli and Mr. Jaime Pena will serve as Executive Directors.

    Also, Alhaji Tajudeen Ahmed Datti and Alhaji Sani Dauda are non-Executive Directors.

    PAN Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of Peugeot, and of recent, Changan brands of auto-mobile, is one of the manufacturing companies that was hit with heavy debts that consequently led to the intervention of AMCON.