Wife of Chairman, Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Limited, Mrs Ebele Chukwuma (left); Chairman, Innocent Chukwuma and Director, South East, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Fred Akingbesote during the 13th-anniversary celebration of the company and presentation of ISO 9001:2015 by SON in Nnewi, Anambra State.
By Daniels Ekugo
Nigeria’s indigenous vehicle manufacturer, Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Ltd on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, rolled drums to celebrate its 13th anniversary and also received the ISO 9001: 2015 Certificate and the MANCAP Certificate from the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON).
In his welcome address at Nnewi, Anambra state, Chairman of Innoson Vehicles, Chief Innocent Chukwuma said the 13th anniversary is a celebration of perfection and the accrued benefits in its pursuit of perfection which is the award to Innoson Vehicle of the ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality Management System and MANCAP by the Standards Organization of Nigeria.
Chief Chukwuma gave the assurance that Innoson Vehicles will continue to employ international best practices in the production of its vehicles so that they can compare favourably in terms of durability, fuel economy and safety.
“As we mark this milestone in our journey of creating quality Nigerian-made vehicles. We have come a long way since our humble beginning in October 2010.
“Our vision was simple: to provide reliable, durable and affordable vehicles for Nigerians. And we have stayed true to that vision, with our commitment to Excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction,” he said.
According to him, the two certificates from SON are a testament to the company’s dedication to upholding international standards of quality and excellence in all aspects of its operations.
“In our pursuit of perfection, we have upgraded our factory from manual Production to semi-automation and then to standard automation which has seen our production capacity rise from 10, 000 vehicles to 60, 000 vehicles per annum.
“We have bought robot painting equipment which when installed will reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and improve product quality leading to higher customer satisfaction.
“We have also introduced African Specifications in the production of vehicles by introducing the concept of regionalisation in the production of vehicles by making sure that we consider the African environment, local tastes, and consumer preferences in the African region during the production of our vehicles,” he said
Chief Chukwuma also expressed his gratitude to his staff whom he described as passionate and hardworking.
“Their unwavering commitment to excellence is the driving force behind our success. To all relevant stakeholders such as the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Standards Organization of Nigeria, National Automotive Design and Development Council – NADDC, Bank of Industry, and the Financial Institutions, thank you for your support and encouragement,” he said.
According to Chief Chukwuma, Nigeria is a big country, stating that the focus of the company is to conquer the motor needs of people in Nigeria and Africa.
He said: “If you watch, in Nigeria today, people are buying second-hand (tokunbo) vehicles, so I decided to go and develop a motor, if not for foreign exchange, the common man would be buying vehicles at a cheaper price in Nigeria. Because of foreign exchange of above N1000, a vehicle costs about N10 million now. I have intended to sell a Mini SUV for N1 million. For those who import brand-new vehicles, the prices are more expensive. So, we are still at benefit.”
He said he has gotten up to 15 contracts outside the country to produce vehicles, revealing that he sends vehicles to Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Senegal.
Speaking on why it is not easy to export within Africa, he said the continent does not have a shipping line that goes around the continent.
“Sometimes when you export to Ghana, the ship will carry the goods to Europe and come back to Ghana. But if we have an African shipping line within the continent that would help a lot. Africa has a lot of things that can be shared among countries.”
Earlier in his speech, the Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso, said awarding the certificates to Innoson Vehicles shows that the company went through rigorous process of inspections and quality assurance in the last five years or even more and also demonstrated compliance to the relevant product standards and is providing products that meet consumer expectations and offer value for money among other benefits.
The DG who was represented by Engr. Fred Akingbesote said “With the award of MANCAP’s certificate to Innoson brand of vehicles, we are demonstrating how standardization and conformance to standard offer strategic opportunities for increased efficiency, set benchmarks and help promote Made-In-Nigeria products to the international market, as this award will boost Innoson’s brand across borders. We are in effect saying that the Innoson brand is fit to be used in Nigeria and beyond.