We make 600 cars monthly and employs 7200 people – Innoson

Chief Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, (Alas Innoson) is
treading where many ordinary businessmen feared to tread
and he is blazing a trail. Though not many gave him any
chance of success in the highly capital intensive, sensitive,
technical and technology-driven automobile industry, but
he stayed steadfast to his dream. Today, his company is
the flagship of indigenous auto manufacturing companies
in the country. Perhaps, all of these would never have been
but for the hand of fate that intervened to save his life.
From the day he mysteriously “resurrected from dead” at
the age of six after a ghastly motor accident, having been
knocked down by a Morris Minor car and left for dead for
over three hours, waiting to be buried. But, he suddenly
regained consciousness on hearing a ‘’loud noise’’, to the
relief of a distraught father. ‘He is still alive,’ came the
shout of relief. Ever since, this child of destiny has
continued to make louder noise through his entrepreneurial
efforts. In this no holds barred interview, the indigenous
auto king bared his mind on all issues raised. “Ask me any
question, and I will answer you.” And he did, from the silly,
the not so silly amidst jokes in this exclusive interview with
Kasie Abone.
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Limited (IVM) plant at
Nnewi is a marvel, one is even more surprised that Innoson
Technical Company, Enugu that such level of production
activities are going on, could you share with us the Innoson
Group story? As you have visited our factories, I don’t have
much to tell you because you have seen things yourself.
You have seen us, interviewed us one by one, I feel you
now know better than what anybody would tell you.
But for the interest of our readers, what is Innoson Group
all about? We are into motorcycle assembly, plastic
manufacturing, we are into tyre manufacturing, motor
component parts manufacturing; we have five factories all
together and we have 7,200 people in our employ. How old
is IVM? We started about five years ago with 14 seater
buses. We later introduced 18 seater, 26 seater, 43 and
city bus. Today, we manufacture SUV, Pick-Up; on April, we
will be launching IVM Sedan cars into the market. The cars
are currently undergoing test running. So, by April, it will be
ready for the market. Everybody that buys it will surely
enjoy it. It is the first car we are building and we want to
make it a delight for every body in terms of affordability
and durability. The cars come in two models. Both of them
would be launched the same time. Some people are of the
view that IVM brand of vehicles are substandard and so
can’t compare in terms of quality with foreign brands in
terms of design and quality. Has anybody ever told you
that? If yes, how do you respond to such insinuations? The
people who say this, do they use IVM vehicles? Before you
criticize any product, you must have put it to test. It’s only
the people that drive our vehicles that can tell you about
them. IVM vehicles are manufactured to global standard,
they are comparable to any other competing brands in
quality and design. We don’t produce engines. We buy our
engines from where others buy theirs; we buy flash sheets
and other components from the same place others source
their own and we use the same equipment to assemble
them. Is it because IVM is made by a black man that it is
not good? We go for training where others are trained. So,
we have the same standard.
What percentage components of your inputs are locally
sourced?
As of now, I am sure we source about 60 percent of our
materials locally. Gradually we will improve on that. It can’t
be automatic. Every year the amount if imported
components continues to drop. Any one we can source
locally, as far as it passes set standard, we don’t hesitate
to do. IVM vehicles seems more popular in the east than
other parts of Nigeria, what is the brands level of patronage
and acceptance? How much awareness have you created
around the brand? Nigerians have given IVM very good
patronage. We receive orders from different parts of the
country. And our customers are happy with what they are
getting. Nigerians are happy and proud that such products
are coming out of Nigeria and they are driving them. IVM
markets also spreads beyond the shores of Nigeria into
west coast countries like Ghana and other African
countries. I have seen companies in Lagos that are using
my vehicles to ply West coast routes. We started with
producing 300 vehicles monthly. Due to increased demand,
today we do 600 with a projection of 1,200 by year end.

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