Coscharis Group has unveiled a newly built assembly plant, which is the first ever Ford Assembly Plant in Nigeria and indeed the entire sub-Sahara Africa.
The unveiling was done in a colorful ceremony in Lagos, after a long wait from when they first announced in November 2015 that the auto giant had commenced physical structuring of the new plant sighted on a piece of land of more than 14 hectares within our Lekki group head office in Lagos.
Speaking at the media launch of the plant, the President and CEO of Coscharis Group, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, said Coscharis Group has been a great believer on the possibilities that lie ahead in Nigeria and that they have shown courage by the actions that we are taking in investing in the future of Nigeria.
Noting that Coscharis Group has equally taken giant steps in the last few years, in the Agricultural Sector of the economy, Maduka that the launch was to showcase another initiative from our great organization, Coscharis Motors Plc, to further create value as a leading player in the automotive industry in Nigeria, in response to the clarion call of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP).
According to him, the move was also to appreciate the confidence that the globally respected iconic brand, FORD, reposed in us as their exclusive official representative in Nigeria to roll out the very first Ford Assembly Plant in Nigeria, adding that this milestone marks another first in the evolution of our company towards remaining timeless in its relevance.
He said “The National Automotive Industry Development Plan aims, among other objectives, to discourage the importation of Completely Built vehicles and encourage the local manufacturing of vehicles through either Complete Knocked Down or Semi Knocked Down facilities for a start. We are aware that a few automobile companies have also initiated their process towards achieving this objective. However, at Coscharis Motors Plc, our concern and commitment to our loyal customers and stakeholders is to, as usual, set standards that other players will be judged by in the industry.
At the moment, our focus at the Plant is to roll-out the Ford Ranger, which is a multipurpose mini-truck that serves well for both work and leisure. As you are all aware, Ford has a global standard for all of its products including the Ranger.
Therefore, Ford’s certification of our facility and output is a confirmation that every single Ranger that rolls out of this plant is indeed “Built Ford Tough” from which we’ve rolled out over 600 units from this facility since we started operation; some of which are on display outside.
But, we will not rest on our oars as we are sure to wax stronger into the future with the introduction of other great Ford variants into the assembly line”, the President added.
Agreeing that the project is capital intensive, which also involves huge financial, technical and human resources commitment, Maduka said that the fact that “we have ventured into it headlong underpins the level of confidence, and hope we have for the future of the Nigerian automotive industry.
This he said is to underscore the human capital opportunities that stand to be delivered in terms of employment, and by extension, the multiplier effect on the economic development of our dear country, Nigeria.
We have always dreamt of a Nigeria that will take its place in the global arena, a Nigeria that sits among the egalitarians in the committee of Nations, taking its rightful place in the pages of history.
Our factory is the second ever Ford manufacturing outfit in the entire African continent, outside of South Africa; something we indeed, are very proud of. By this, Coscharis, as an organization, reinforces its belief in the Nigerian project that this is the only country we have and absolutely nothing else.
So, we have taken the challenge for our generation as a result of this huge investment we’ve taken as a strong believer in our dear country as an entity, we can only but demand for governmental support in terms of enabling environment vis-à-vis basic infrastructures that are required to keep the manufacturing process on and more importantly the purchase patronage of the finished products from the plant”, he said.
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