Home / Lead Story / Nigerian Air Force, Innoson formally sign MoU for fighter jets’ spare parts production + CNN story on Innoson
Chairman IVM, Mr Innocent Chukwuma (l) with the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar

Nigerian Air Force, Innoson formally sign MoU for fighter jets’ spare parts production + CNN story on Innoson

Chairman IVM, Mr Innocent Chukwuma (l) with the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar
Chairman IVM, Mr Innocent Chukwuma (l) with the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar
Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an indigenous vehicle manufacturing firm, the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, for research and production of spare parts for its fighter jets.
According to NAF, the agreement is geared towards ensuring that aerial battles against the Islamic fundamentalists were not encumbered as a result of lack of spare parts to fix broken down fighter jets and also use the opportunity to encourage local manufacturers.
NAF jet in action
NAF jet in action
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, told newsmen at the company’s headquarters at Nnewi, Anambra State, that the collaboration between the company and the Air Force had kept its jet fleet running for months now.
Abubakar, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Air Vice-Marshal James Gbum, said that the MoU would further solidify the collaboration, improve local content and engineering as well as save the country a lot of foreign exchange used in importing the expensive parts.
“Our war efforts will be in vain if we don’t do something to ensure we get spare parts because the Alpha jets, for instance, one of our fighter aircraft that forms the back-bone of our struggle against Boko Haram, we were (once) down with one or two at most due to lack of spare parts and mainly the brake assemblies of these aircraft.
“The Chief of Air Staff (Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar) immediately ordered our research and development cell in Jaji to start to research into this brake assembly overhaul; they went ahead, carried out the research. However, the first proto-type they brought couldn’t pass the test. The Nigerian Air Force later discovered Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company at Nnewi and that they are very capable of collaborating with the Nigerian Air Force to achieve the required standards of overhauling our brake assemblies.”

Nigeria’s first car maker takes to the skies in fighter jets

The Innoson story by CNN

IVM 4-Wheel drive
IVM 4-Wheel drive

The grinding conflict between the Nigerian state and Boko Haram insurgents has exacted a devastating human and economic toll over the past six years.
But for Nigeria’s first car manufacturer, the crisis may represent an opportunity.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) recently announced a partnership deal with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), which will see the company supply spare parts for jets conducting airstrikes against the insurgents.
“The ingenious effort by IVM is instrumental to the continued operation of the Alpha Jets,” NAF spokesperson Ayodele Famuyiwa said of the deal. “IVM helped to save the day when help was not forthcoming from abroad.”

The Air Force reached out to Innoson in 2015, as it faced increasing difficulty with the import of vital parts such as brake pads. The deal was struck after a series of site visits around the country.

IVM Model being used by FRSC
IVM Model being used by FRSC
“The army came to our factories in many states,” says Innoson spokesperson Cornel Osigwe. “They saw we had the capacity.”

IVM, part of the Innoson Group owned by billionaire Innocent Chukwuma, started producing commercial vehicles such as coaches in 2007, before launching a range of private cars in 2014 — the first to carry a “Made in Nigeria” seal.
The offshoot company now employs over 7,000 people and has capacity to produce 10,000 cars a year. It is hoped that the partnership with NAF could help the business expand further.
“The attention is providing a big boost for the company,” says Osigwe.
Innoson has gained several new clients since the deal, according to the spokesperson, including the National Assembly. Leading politicians such as Senator Ben Murray-Bruce have offered strong support.
Osigwe hopes that high profile supporters will help the company make inroads with the wider public.
“If the government patronizes Innoson, individuals and companies will follow,” he says.

As Nigeria continues to suffer from falling oil revenues that are devaluing its currency, the Naira, the government is making efforts to build up the domestic manufacturing sector and reduce dependency on imports.
The government-promoted Twitter campaign #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira has been enthusiastically adopted by the public, trending on several occasions over the past month.

IVM garbage trucks
IVM garbage trucks
Innoson has featured prominently in the campaign, with indications that the company is gaining recognition.
A recent poll from news site YNaija showed that 60% of respondents would choose the Nigerian-made cars.
IVM is now seeking to capitalize on the current momentum. The company is planning to increase its manufacturing capacity from 10,000 to 50,000 vehicles per year, including new, lower cost cars to reach a broader market.
Collaboration with the NAF will also expand for research and supply. As patriotism grows across Nigeria, this could prove a crucial selling point.

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