 |
| Mr. Jeff Nemeth |
The first Ford Ranger truck to be rolled out of Coscharis's assembly
plant in Ikeja, Lagos was unveiled on Monday by Mr. Jeff Nemeth, President and
CEO, Ford Motor Company, Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Nemeth said the Ikeja plant would accommodate one shift and would
produce an initial 10 units per day for the Nigerian market, creating
approximately 180 direct and indirect jobs.
“The main driver behind Ford in Africa is affordability. Africa is one
of the youngest markets in the world and presents a huge opportunity in terms
of consumption,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the buying power of the African consumer,
noting that it was on the rise “as the continent’s middle class increases
exponentially”.
“In line with the operating procedures for Ford plants around the world,
Ford will send experienced employees to Nigeria to assist with implementing the
Global Ford Production System, which focuses on the highest standards for
safety, quality and delivery,” Nemeth said.
The Ford Ranger trucks will be assembled at a semi-knockdown (SKD)
level, using body parts and components imported from Ford’s Silverton assembly
plant in South Africa.
Ford's SKD operation in Nigeria was established in partnership with the
local Ford dealer group, Coscharis Motors Limited, and is based in Ikeja.
Mr. Cosmas Maduka, President of Coscharis Motors, said: “We have worked
hard and moved quickly to turn this dream into a reality. Today marks an
important milestone when the cogs in the wheel really start to turn, not only
for Ford in Nigeria, but in general for the Nigerian industry, which is
receiving a much needed boost towards industrialisation and the development of
the automotive industry.
“We are committed to setting the bar high, and establishing world-class,
best practices in Nigeria that every other industrialist will have to be judged
by. This is a major milestone for us and marks another first in the evolution
of our company.”
No comments:
Post a Comment