Innoson Motors, an indigenous manufacturing company in Nigeria has signed an MoU with a Malian firm to export 400 locally made vehicles to Mali.
This was disclosed by the Nigerian Charge‘d Affair in Mali,Yara Abdulsalam, during a courtesy visit by a team of business delegation from Mali to the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja.
Mr. Abdul Salam noted that Innoson Motors had during the week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taxi Plus VIP, a Mali based transport company for the expansion transport business in Mali
He added that the development was the outcome of ”Made in Nigeria products exhibition” held in Bamako, Mali in 2016 facilitated by Ginco Group, a Nigerian firm based in Mali to show-case Nigeria’s potentials.
”From the exhibition Taxi Plus VIP approached the embassy that they wanted to import vehicle from China but we told them that we had indigenous company in Nigeria that manufactures vehicles.”
”Mali is the centre of Francophone countries which has boundary with eight countries, if this materialise in Mali, it will affect all other countries and will increase Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria,” he said.
The Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama while responding, expressed delight at the development which he described as the beginning of industrial revolution in Nigeria and a good development that would enhance job creation and curtail the rate at which youths embark on dangerous adventure to Europe in search greener pasture.
”What I found so interesting is that we are trading at the highest technology level with exportation of automobile, cars and buses to one another. It is the beginning of revolution in our country, the longest journey that has started now. As we are now laying the foundation, the sky is the limit for our Continent, it means we have broken that glass ceiling that is holding us down,” he said.
The Minister while commending the Nigerian embassy in Mali for providing the institutional support for the MoU said that one of the ministry’s goals was to be a hub to promote Nigerian export therefore other Nigerian embassies around the world should also serve as small hub to promote trade relationship.
The Managing Director of Ginco Group, Mr Godwin Oguzie, said that the 2016 Made in Nigeria exhibition in Bamako Mali was to let Nigerian Manufacturers know that opportunity awaits them in Mali to sell their products
”We signed an MOU with Innosson Manufacturing Company to enable Taxi Plus increase its capacity to provide urban transportation system in Bamako. We signed an MOU that they will be getting up to 400 vehicles from Nigeria.” he said
This is the first time a country in Africa is exporting locally manufactured vehicles to other African countries.