MD, VON Automobile,Tokunbo Aromolaran speaks on the gesture of giving out a brand new Made in Nigeria Hyundai i10 to a journalist recently in Lagos. The presentation which was part of the company’s ‘Buy made in Nigeria’ vehicles campaign, was witnessed by dignitaries including Senator Ben Murray Bruce, his wife, Evelyn and Chairman CMC Connect, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya.
ARE you still in doubt of the ability of Nigerians to produce top quality made in Nigeria automobiles? Look no further, as VON Automobile Limited, a division of the Stallion Group, is already leading the way with top of the range automobiles. This much the Managing Director, Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran set out to prove recently, when the company gave out a brand new Hyundai i10 to a journalist, Gboyega Alaka of The Nation Newspapers.
According to Aromolaran, the gesture, which was a fulfillment of a raffle draw held for journalists at the VON Estate, Ojo last November 28, is to create an awareness amongst Nigerians that top quality automobiles are being locally assembled in Nigeria, and get Nigerians to patronise and have pride in the products.
The motive, he said, is to encourage patronage and expand the factories and production capacity to serve the nation better. He said, “If you’re driving locally made cars, you create an avenue for additional production, additional employment, with value added and increase our GDP….”
Despite bearing a first name like Tokunbo, Aromolaran said he is unwavering in the fight against tokunbo (imported fairly used vehicles). As a nation, he said, Nigeria needs to go through the pain of developing its automobile industry in order to enjoy a viable industry. He noted that of the top one hundred countries in the world, Nigeria and Bangladesh are the only two that do not have viable automobile manufacturing industries, which he said is no longer acceptable.
He said bringing in cars through the borders does not do the country any good, as ‘importers’ don’t pay duties. By allowing those vehicles come in, he said Nigeria is only allowing the Republic of Benin, which does not have a vehicle assembly plant, to collect duties on what it has not earned.
He stressed that “If Nigerians start patronising locally assembled cars, our auto industry would grow and in the next three years, our second-hand auto market will also grow, which will not be tokunbo cars but cars deriving from our own market here, not cars that have been used for eight years.”
The VON Automobile premises along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Lagos, is a massive auto assembly plant with installed manufacturing capacity for 45,000 units in one shift. The company set out in 2012, with a target of manufacturing affordable vehicles for Nigerians. The overall vision is to turn Nigeria into a cornerstone of auto-manufacturing in Africa. The company boasts of the expertise and facility and a conviction that it can create a world-class automobile behemoth, which will in turn create a huge multiplier effects on the Nigerian economy and society.
Vehicles assembled there include Ashok Leyland Falcon/Hawk mass transit bus, AL Garbage Compactor, AL 1718, AL Troop Carrier and IVECO trucks. The company is also creating substantial direct and indirect employment, conditioned upon the market environment. To start with, all the safety materials it uses in buses assembled in the factory are locally sourced, to the extent that it has attained 30% local content. Some of these items include windshield, window frames, sealants, paints and labour.
VON also assembles different models of Nissan passenger vehicles such as Almera, Patrol, NP300 and Urvan bus and Hyundai models, including Hyundai i10, Grand, Civic Bus, County Bus, HD 65, HD 78 and HD 120.
Aromolaran assured on strong quality control in the OAN, which he said are like partners. He said “Nissan will not allow any vehicle leave this plant unless it has passed their test.”
He also said the Nissan Patrol produced at the VON plant can compete favourably with any brand in the world.
In terms of labour, Aromolaran said “We have recruited mechanics, trained them formally and turned them into super auto engineers and auto mechanics. They work on an automated conveyor system and know that the result of their work is important to the next stage, and dare not mess up.”
In his remarks, Senator Ben Murray Bruce reiterated his support for made in Nigeria products, promising to do whatever it takes in the National Assembly and in government to influence positive changes towards locally assembled made in Nigeria automobiles. He again advocated long-term payment pattern based on single digit interest rate, saying Nigeria “cannot move forward if all we do is for a young graduate to drive a 30-year old car from Belgium. People forget something. A modern day car can drive 40, 50 miles per gallon; that car from Belgium gives you 5 miles per gallon.”
He also called on President Buhari to, by law, compel all his ministers and government officials to drive made in Nigeria cars, as this would enhance trust in the products.
He however disagreed with the VON MD on the call to shut the borders, saying such actions would paralyse business activities in the border towns. Rather, he suggested that inefficient customs officers
