By Dennis Udoma, Uyo
An automobile assembly plant in Akwa Ibom, MIMSHAC Transportation Technologies has said, it would roll out 1000 vehicles into the Nigerian auto market by first quarter of 2022.
Already, work at the plant located at Ikot Ukap Itam, Itu Local Government Area, is nearing 90 percent completion.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Chief Valentino Okorie, disclosed this to newsmen while conducting them round the facility on Ikot Ekpene – Calabar Itu High Way.
He said, they are assembling different categories of vehicles such as; SUVs, Mini buses, midi buses, trucks, pick up vans and coaster buses adding that, the ones that would soon hit the market are commercial vehicles.
Chief Okorie stated, he had been in partnership with MERKAVIM, an Israeli vehicle manufacturing giant for the past 20 years.
He lauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for creating a conducive business environment for investors to come into the state adding that provision of land and a dedicated power infrastructure to the plant by the state government was in line with Governor Emmanuel’s commitment towards realization of his industrialisation agenda.
Chief Okorie regretted the delay in the commencement of the project attributing it to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and some administrative bottlenecks.
The MD also disclosed that, the firm was working with an Israeli automobile manufacturer – Merkavim as its technical partner in the area of technology transfer and backward integration.
He called on the federal government to make more reforms in the area of ease of doing business.
“The plant is about 90 percent completed. Everything you see here is prefabricated and brought for installation.
“The electrical, the production area and the spraying area have been completed. We have fixed the offices, and I can assure you that in the next six months, commercial vehicles from this plant will be in the market.
“Our target is to produce 1000 vehicles in a year, and I must commend the state government for looking at other means of generating revenue for the state; not just the revenue but, something that can generate jobs and employment for the people also.
“The government has done so well by assisting us with this land free and a dedicated power line drawn to the factory”.
Okorie however, called on governments at all levels to invest in the transportation sub -sector which is capable of generating thousands of jobs and allied investment opportunities for the people.
According to him, “this is the first vehicle assembly plant in the South – South region; what INNOSON is doing as a private investor in the East is commendable but, we are coming to raise automobile industry to another level, because of the types of vehicles that would be assembled here in this plant.
“Other assembly plants like PAN, VON and ANAMCO came and are gone but, we are coming to stay,” he stressed.
Government he said, should invest in the transport sector, like this assembly plant now, which has the capacity to generate over 10,000 jobs and other business opportunities.
He assured that, MIMSHAC by the time it is fully operational, should be thinking of producing oil filters, fuel filters, car batteries and break – pads among others.
