By: OLOWOJOBA JOSEPH (olowojobajoseph@netzero.net)
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he new Chinese FAW truck with a ready assembly plant in Nigeria is significant.
The fact that the company did not just stop at setting up a truck plant, but also went as far as generating its own power show how much faith the FAW Plant investors have in Nigeria economy. This as well as other plants dotting the country are a reaffirmation that Nigeria is poised to become an automotive hub of Africa.
Some factors working in favour of the country are: population, available local skilled and unskilled labour, strategic natural location of Nigeria to other African countries, labour cost, and available raw materials.
Government functionaries at all levels and companies operating in the country have no business in importation vehicles any longer.
All we now need is for the locally made vehicles to be affordable to Nigerians and Africans at large. And they must meet international standard, such that population of used vehicle buyers would be seen decline over the next few years.
But all these may not happen so long as the local vehicle assemblers continue to be denied of patronage by government officials, who should show good example.
