The number of automobile companies declaring interest to set up assembly plants in Nigeria have continued to swell as renowned German truck and bus maker, MAN entered into agreement with SCOA Nigeria Plc for the assembling of MAN products in Nigeria.

The agreement which was signed in Lagos recently was witnessed by the Deputy Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Joerg Steckhan.

The MAN delegation to the agreement signing ceremony was led by its Vice President, Mr. Adel Luenz, and the Head of Sales, for Middle East and Africa region, Mr. Noel Macaron while the chairman SCOA Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Henry Agbamu and the Group Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Massad Boulos represented the SCOA team at the event.

Speaking at the occasion, the Group Managing Director of SCOA, Dr. Massad Boulos described the event as a milestone in the company’s history. He commended the federal government’s initiatives to transform the automobile industry.

“Mr. President and his team, in a bold and courageous move, put in place a number of policy measures needed to transform and attract investments into the sector. There is no doubt that a transformed automotive industry will realise its potential as a major driver of economic growth and diversification, job creation, local value addition and technology acquisition,” he said.

The Group Managing Director further pointed out that all over the world, the automotive industry plays both a strategic and catalytic role in economic development with respect to employment creation, GDP contribution, economic linkages, development of SME’s, skill acquisition and development, technology acquisition and innovation and research and development.

Continuing, he said an automotive industry will create significant good quality employments and a wide range of technological advanced manufacturing opportunities. This industry base can then form the foundation of other modern advanced manufacturing activities like manufacturing of agricultural, mining and railway equipment and other non civilian hardware and transport.

The SCOA boss recalled that the automotive industry thrived three to four decades in Nigeria whereby global auto leaders like General Motors, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Mercedes Benz, Fiat, Steyre, British Leyland and other were producing hundreds of thousands of affordable vehicles and tens of thousands of good jobs and hundreds of auxiliary industries.

He explained that the partnership with MAN will not only serve the Nigerian market but also the ECOWAS sub-region, adding that they were privilege to have the best product and to be the first European brand to be assembled in Nigeria, under the new policy.

The new MAN assembly part which is billed to take off next month has the capacity to produce 3000 vehicles annually and can easily be expanded and increased if need be.

Also speaking at the occasion, the chairman SCOA, Mr. Henry Agbamu traced the history of the company to 1932 when they ventured into automobile industry.

He noted that the company in 1952 established Nigeria’s first private auto assembly plant in Apapa, Lagos where it assembled Peugeot 404 and 504 pick-ups and later metamorphosed into auto giant pioneering sales, distribution and maintenance of variety of automobiles.

He concluded that “the emotion of having MAN, assembled in Nigeria by SCOA, is simply awesome and with the support of the Nigerian government’s newly launched automotive policy, the SCOA Motors Division is simply the right destination for MAN.