Kunle Ojeleye, bottom, and his Ford

By Kunle Ojeleye

On our way from Epinmi Akoko in May 2024, the temporary driver I had, who had worked in a corporate environment for over ten years, was shocked at the vehicle’s performance. He did not know when he spoke out that he was surprised at the comfort and the performance of the Ford vehicle.

His outburst led to discussions between the four of us in the vehicle. He asked why I chose a Ford vehicle instead of the usual popular brands in Nigeria. I told him that I had always dared to be different. Until I left the United Kingdom for North America, my brand of choice was Renault.

Besides, for a fraction of what I would pay for some brands, I get the same performance, top equipment level and reliability through maintenance from my vehicles.

I gave an example of 2004 when my brother and I decided to buy a vehicle for our parents. I travelled from the UK to Germany to buy the same car model as the French President was driving – a top-of-the-range Renault Safrane for a fraction of what I would have paid for a Mercedes-Benz, a Toyota or a Honda.

When I finished providing some insights into the global car manufacturing sector, how the chassis of a Ford model and many parts making it up may be the same as a Volvo, a Mazda, a Lincoln and even a luxurious brand as the Range Rover, and how you sometimes pay more through the nose for the prestige of a VW in contrast to the Skoda, the chap did not know when he blurted out:

“Oga, you be car dealer?”

I laughed. I then told them:

(1) How my father arose my curiosity in the maintenance of a vehicle as a young chap,

(2) How I started driving at age 11,

(3) My sojourn in Kaduna for about two years with my Uncle, who was a dealer for Peugeot Automobile Nigeria,

(4) My Uncle’s foray into the used car business in the early 1990s, with me heading into Amsterdam to buy and ship vehicles home for him,

(5) How I used to drive one-year-old vehicles with mileage as low as 13 000km in the United Kingdom by buying repairable salvage from insurance auctions, taking them to body workshop that dealers would also use but paying far less for workmanship to the garage as it was a cash deal, using the same car for a few years, and selling at a small profit than I initially laid out on it.

Even though I have not turned my knowledge into a money-making venture, friends and relatives in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Nigeria have tapped into my residual knowledge when purchasing different brands of vehicles.

Abi ki emi naa bẹrẹ si ta mọto (Should I start selling vehicles)? No.

My choice is to utilize my knowledge to support a dependable Aburo who has made it a side hustle for many years.