Welcome To Ladipo ‘Assembly Plant’… Where Ingenuity Meets Risk

LADIPO bus stop is a well-known place on Oshodi-Apapa Express Way in Lagos. But even more popular and widely accessed by people from within the country and other ECOWAS countries is the market from which the bus stop derives its name – the Ladipo market.

It is reckoned to be the biggest spare parts market, mostly for fairly used vehicles (otherwise known as Tokunbo) in West Africa.

On any given day, the sight of articulated trucks bearing container loads of spares, and sometimes even complete vehicles among other sundry items is commonplace.

At one instance, as usually is the case, one of the containers that arrived the market bore in its belly eight vehicles; four were cannibalised parts that had the semblance of Completely Knocked Down (CKD), while the other four were intact. There were also engine parts stuffed in the container.

The cannibalised sections were all ‘run and drive’; the engines were intact. To avoid high cost of shipping and clearing of containers in the country’s ports many importers have devised ways of cutting down cost.

“With the increase in import duty, clearing and cost of shipping, this is the only way we can make money from this business. Ordinarily, you need more than a 40ft container to bring in buses like this. But with four of them ‘knocked down,’ it is possible to take the eight at once and even add smaller goods, which means you clear just one container,” one of the traders explained.

While the other four vehicles were taken away for negotiations, the four cannibalised ones entered the assembly stage. This is where the panel beater comes in. Since the engines are in good condition, it is his job to join the body parts back, specifically the top that had been cut out from the middle of the body. In doing so, however, there are two options available; it’s either the buyer pays for joining the parts together without smoothening them, or gives it out for total panel beating and even painting of the vehicle.

CONFIRMING the trend, Chuwuma Nwafor, a clearing agent based in Apapa, noted that Tokunbo car importers have since devised means of cutting down cost of importation, especially with the new tariff.

“Importers, especially the ones in Ladipo Market, bring in a lot of ‘CKDs’ to save cost. In some cases, they buy accidented cars and strips them. So, with the same 40ft containers, they import complete vehicles alongside the ‘CKDs.’ Yet, when they are selling the parts, they don’t sell them as accidented vehicles; they still sell them at normal prices.”

According to Nwafor, what you pay as import duty depends on what you declared to the custom officials.

“This is where things get interesting, because the importers don’t always like to give full declaration. For instance, when you import old cars, the duty is lower than when you import newer cars. So, you see some of them back-dating the manufacture dates of the cars on their documents so as to pay cheaper tariff. And because they have a way of bribing the inspectors, they usually have their way. In fact, the law states that any car above 10 years is contraband; that means 2005 cars are not supposed to come in. But go and check; you will see a lot of them here because they’ve adjusted the dates. In most cases, they bring them in as cannibalised body parts,” he said.

‘This Job Is Not For Any Panel Beater’
WHEN it comes to coupling these cannibalised bodies in Ladipo Market, Sule is one panel beater every one seems to trust. Even without a proper workshop, he’s the most sought after in the market. Aside from spending 12 years on the job, his relationship with known automobile companies in the past, gives him an edge over his colleagues.

With about N25,000 to N30,000, he will get a bus running. But if you now want him to do a complete job, which includes panel beating, electrical and painting, then the price goes up to N60,000 or N70,000.

“It depends on how the vehicles was knocked down; when I see the works, then I decide what to charge. But this is not a job for anyhow panel beater; not all can do it. This is the work I learnt; I know how to put together anything that is scattered, once I see the parts,” he boasted. “I’ve worked for SCOA Motors in Ibadan, where I was the in-house panel beater. I also worked at Ogundimu Motors in Abeokuta, before I moved to Lagos.”

Even when he was an apprentice, Sule was eager to acquire more knowledge.

“I used to go to other panel beaters outside to learn from them; I used to sneak out from my Oga’s workshop. I just wanted to learn more because there are some things your master won’t teach you, but when you work with others as a ‘job man’, you will learn from them. So, as far as this job is concerned, I know what I’m doing,” he declared.

Assembling vehicle body parts is not an easy task; it takes a lot of techniques and creativity. At first, the panel beater sorts out the parts and then identifies where each fits. In some cases, when the vehicle is not properly disassembled, you have cases of damaged edges; that’s where the panel beater’s level of creativity is tested.

While the experienced hands find ways to knock damaged parts back to shape or fabricate something that works, the green horns resort to total replacement of the affected parts.

Operating mostly under the sun, the process for Sule starts with the stretching and shrinking of the metals back to their original dimensions. This requires heat to be applied to the surface and then hammered with a special hammer. Usually supported by his apprentices, Sule uses this technique in conjunction with planishing, a metalworking technique that involves finishing the panel surface by finely shaping and smoothing it.

The metal is then pressed (in case of damaged ends), to restore the original shape. But unlike in fully mechanised workshops, where the metal is pushed against a shaping tool known as a dolly or stake, everything here is done manually; it takes a lot of energy and thinking.

Once that was done, Sule then begins to join pieces of metal together, reinforcing the vehicle structure and ensuring its strength. In the process of welding, heat is applied to the pieces to be joined using flame generated from his machine. Most times, he does so with naked eyes, not wearing protective goggles.

To smoothen the rough edges, he uses a putty filler to restore a panel’s original contours. Filling involves mixing a paste and applying it to the vehicle surface. This process involves speed and Sule seems to have mastered it. Once mixed, the filler can harden, making it unable to be reused. Once it has set, the filler provides a hard surface that can then be smoothed and shaped.

Depending on the stage of the panel repair, there are a number of different sanding techniques. The texture of the sanding pad will be determined by the result required. Sanding can either be a wet or dry procedure and will be used to re-shape a contour and prepare the surface for painting.

“Once I work on any vehicle, it must fit well; you will not even know the difference. Look at the one I’m working on now. If you come here by tomorrow, I would have finished it. The problem is that I don’t have a workshop; I’m supposed to have a grinding machine to smoothen the surface well,” he lamented.

“Like this job,” he said, pointing at a Suzuki mini bus by the corner, “I was only paid to do the joining; I wasn’t expected to do total panel beating. If I were paid to handle the entire job, you would have seen the difference. If you look at the body, you will notice dents; they are not supposed to be there.”

‘Government Is Unfair To Local Technicians’
According to Sule, lack of support from authorities has been a major challenge for artisans and people in the technical sector. And that’s why people don’t respect the skill and acumen that Ladipo technicians deploy to get Tokunbo cars on the road.

“Government is not helping people like us; if I see somebody that will give me money, I will set up a proper workshop and go fully into this work. I’ve been here for years; a lot of people here know me. It’s because I don’t have money, that’s why I’m still here working for individuals; I should be handling big contracts by now,” he lamented.

But asked if he’s not aware of available government grants for skilled individuals like himself, Sule alleged that, “government only gives grants to people they know; people like us are not part of it. The Nigerian government is not serious, if not, they should be giving grants to technical people to advance their creativity. If you move around, you will see people producing cars and airplanes, but after that, nothing happens. Abroad, such people get scholarships from the government to study. We used to have one guy here, he has only one hand, but he used it to construct a car and used remote control to operate it. We have talented people in Nigeria, but our government is not serious.”

Converting From Right-Hand To Left-Hand Drive
In some cases, some of these vehicles come in as right-hand drive, which actually makes them cheaper. But to get them on Nigerian roads, they must be converted to left-hand drive. This is another booming trade inside Ladipo Market.

Don’t think right hand drive conversion is an easy process. It is not just transferring the steering wheel from left to right. However, to an average Ladipo mechanic, it’s a ‘moi moi’ case, a matter of cash and carry.

The cost of conversion here varies; the brand of vehicle largely determines the price. For regular brands, you could pay as much as N150,000 to N170,000. But if you intend to buy items required for the conversion, then it comes down to about N70,000 to N100,000.

“It depends on the car. In most cases, we change the dashboard during conversion. So, if you are talking of a luxury car, the cost will be higher. Sometimes, we just charge for the workmanship, while the owner takes care of all purchases. But for regular cars, we take between N70,000 and N100,000,” Chima, a mechanic in the market hinted.

To get the job done professionally, converting a vehicle involves major changes. On a good day, the process begins with the removal of the vehicles interior, the front-end sheet metal, radiator, headlamps, grille and bumper. As each part is removed, it is safely stored. But here in Ladipo, some of the boys take things for granted, sometimes leading to damages.

In Ladipo, little attention is paid to standard. And because they are usually in haste, the job is usually haphazardly done. Worst is when the client is being economical with payment.

“It depends on how much you pay. If you want a good job, we can do that. The problem is that some people don’t like to pay, so we give them what they want,” Kayode, one of the mechanics said.

In some cases, the bolts are not firmly screwed, and sometimes, not even screwed at all. And when the client raises concern, you hear something like, “Oga, it doesn’t matter…”

Notwithstanding, there are some, who follow the process diligently; they are very few though, the importers know who is who.

Though a booming business in Ladipo, lack of standard workshop, sometimes, affects the end product. Ordinarily, once the vehicle has been prepared for conversion, qualified technicians utilise a variety of specially designed Jigs to ensure good finishing.

‘I Did It Once, But Regretted It’
According to Akin Opeifa, a lecturer at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, converting from right-hand drive to left-hand drive involves the change of steering rod and tie rods.

“The point of connection is not the same and in some cars, the dashboard has to go. However, it depends on the car you are converting. For instance, most British cars are made in a way that you can just remove the box from the dashboard and put it back on the other side,” he said.

Opeifa, who runs a mechanic workshop in Lagos, informed that some car manufacturers actually make provisions for conversion. “I know of Volvo and that’s because their sale in Britain is so high. So, when they make the cars, especially the 240 and 244 models, they make provision in case they end up in left-hand drive countries. I bought one from Britain and changed it; you can hardly know,” he said.

But no matter the level of creativity applied by the mechanics, converting from left-hand drive to right-hand drive comes with two major challenges: the air conditioning system and electrical.

“If the AC is central, I mean if the evaporator is at the middle, you don’t have problem. But if it’s on that side where the steering is, then you have a big problem. Mostly electrical faults; they never get it right. I tried it with Honda Accord and I felt very bad because I spent so much money on it. Eventually, I sold it off at give away price,” he lamented.

As at the time Opeifa bought his right-hand drive Honda Accord for N500,000, the left hand-drive of the same car sold for about N700,000. In the process of conversion, he expended about N300,000.

“At the end of the day, I sold the car for N500,000. But after that, I never tried it again. As cheap at it might look, you would end up spending more and you hardly get a good result,” he said.

Beyond that, there’s the airbag challenge. “Most times, the airbag on the steering will be safe during conversion, but the one on the dashboard will be affected. In most cases, they wont tell the buyer that the airbag is bad. So, when there’s accident, you are not protected.”

According to him, conversion is a process that involves high level of professionalism, yet not advisable. “There’s no big deal in conversion; the major issue is the dashboard because some could be very, very expensive. But if you can get the right parts, especially cars that are available here, it’s easy to do. But I won’t advise anybody to do that because the expenses are much at the end of the day. There’s one here; it is not even possible to convert it because the manufacturers made the gear lever close to the driver, such that when you convert, it will not be at the center as it used to be. Again, the harassment by road safety officials is something you will have to deal with.”

He continued: “You must change the steering column and the tie rods. If the car is not using a steering column, if it’s using steering box, which is very rare these days, you have to look for the left side.”

In Nigeria, right-hand drive vehicles, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), are against traffic law. Even when converted, such vehicles are considered a risk by the FRSC.

“In most countries of the world, you are allowed to drive whichever hand you want, but the insurance cost is usually different; that’s what drives people away. For instance, the insurance cost is high for left hand drive in Britain. The premium for left-hand drive cars is high because the possibility of you having accident is very, very high,” Opeifa said.