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Coscharis intensifies backward integration plan with new assembly plant

By Femi Adekoya
18 October 2017   |   3:12 am
In line with Federal Government’s agenda on local manufacturing of vehicles through either Complete Knocked Down or Semi Knocked Down facilities, Coscharis Group has unveiled its Ford assembly plant to achieve the objective.

President of Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka

In line with Federal Government’s agenda on local manufacturing of vehicles through either Complete Knocked Down or Semi Knocked Down facilities, Coscharis Group has unveiled its Ford assembly plant to achieve the objective.

According to the Group, the plant has been a long wait from when the company first announced in November 2015 that it 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.

Already, Coscharis has rolled out 600 units of Ford Ranger multi-purpose mini-truck as part of measures to expand and consolidate on existing market share.Addressing journalists in Lagos, President and Chief Executive Officer of Coscharis Group, Dr Cosmos Maduka said the plant is the second in Africa after South Africa.

He explained that undertaking the venture underpins the level of confidence and hope the group has for the future of the Nigerian automotive industry, adding that the human capital opportunities that stand to be delivered in terms of employment and by extension the multiplier effect on the economic development of the country cannot be underplayed.

“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 rollout the Ford Ranger, which is a multipurpose mini-truck that serves well for both work and leisure.“This is 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. This milestone marks another first in the evolution of our company towards remaining timeless in its relevance”, he added.

However, Maduka decried the operating environment and inconsistency in government policies as issues undermining the development of the automotive sector.Operating at below capacity, Maduka said the plant can produce 60 units a day using two shifts, but presently producing 30 units.

“So we have taken the challenge for our generation. 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.

Conducting journalists round the plant, Manager of the plant, Sola Afolayan, said all laid down procedures are being followed in line with Ford’s global standard.“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”.

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