Stallion showcases the first Made-in-Nigeria Nissan

Sunil Vaswani, chairman of the Stallion Group presented three models of Nissan vehicles to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; these models included the Nissan Patrol SUV, Nissan Almera (Sunny) saloon car and the Nissan NP 300 pick-up.

The vehicles presented meet global standards of product and technology and were proudly produced at the Stallion Nissan Motors plant located at Badagry expressway, Lagos pursuant to the new Automotive Policy initiated by the Government.

Sunil Vaswani, Chairman Stallion Group handing over the keys of the first Made in Nigeria, Nissan Patrol to President Goodluck Jonathan. Also present were, the First Lady Patience Goodluck, Vice President Namadi Sambo and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga.

The plant was established following the signing of the agreement between Nissan Motor Company, and West African conglomerate the Stallion Group, on 9 October 2014, in response to the announcement of the National Automotive policy by the Federal Government on 3 October 2014.

"Africa is a strategic market for Nissan. By acting quickly to begin production in Nigeria we are securing for ourselves the first-mover advantage, demonstrating our brand leadership and promise of innovation," says Mike Whitfield, Head of Nissan's Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Vaswani, who led the Stallion-Nissan delegation to Abuja, commended the Federal Government's automotive policy initiative, describing it as a historic step towards industrial and economic rejuvenation.

Vaswani thanked the president for the national automotive policy initiative that facilitated the production of made-in-Nigeria Nissan vehicles.

"We are grateful for implementing this initiative which is part of the Federal Government's seven-point agenda to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and emancipate the dormant sectors of the economy," remarked Vaswani.

He further elaborated that "the evolution of automotive manufacturing sector in Nigeria would not only encourage more foreign direct investments but stimulate industrial clusters such as original equipment manufacturers that includes steel plants, glass manufacturers, aftermarket shops and transportation service providers leading to job creation and contributing significantly to the GDP."

He further expressed confidence that "the current population of Nigeria can convincingly support more than half a million vehicles annually, which is more than sufficient to sustain an emerging automotive industry. He reiterated that Stallion's automobile facility in Lagos is committed to produce 45,000 vehicles annually. He said Stallion is on track to expand its investments further in stimulating the growth of a complete auto industry eco system, as envisaged by the new policy.

Stallion Nissan Motors Nigeria is a subsidiary of the multinational Conglomerate, Stallion Group and the sole distributor of Nissan Motors in Nigeria. Stallion Group is engaged in commodities, industries, automobiles, agriculture, food, FMCG, real estate and services across 18 countries.