Mercedes Benz is gearing up to begin the assembly of mini buses and ambulances in Nigeria, in an attempt to draw benefits from the country’s automotive policy
The company’s managing director in Nigeria Benson Uwatse said the country could benefit greatly from the current automotive policy, and that it required ambulances as well.
However, Uwatse stressed that there was a lot to accomplish with the policy, as Nigeria lacks the infrastructure as well as the ancillary industries needed for vehicle assembly.
Following the enforcement of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan by the erstwhile Jonathan government, the sector shows promise.
Several OEMs such as Hyundai, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota and Renault are assembling their vehicles in various locations across Nigeria. Incoming OEMs are being offered a range of incentives to set up shop in Nigeria, while import duties on completely built-up units in the country have risen sharply to 70 per cent from 20 per cent, in a bid to encourage local assembly.
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