Tata plans to widen footprint in Nigeria with assembly plant - Report

30/12/2015 - 16:53 | ,   | Ashwin Ram N P

The plant is spread out across 130 hectares.

Tata International is reported to be planning to work on improving its presence in Nigeria. Further, the company is working on rolling out products from its first assembly plant in the country. This information was revealed by Mr. Noel Tata, the Managing Director of Tata International, at the inauguration of a new company-built dealership in Lagos. The assembly plant has been setup through Tata's local partner, IPI.

Tata Xenon XT 2.2 front at the 2015 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show
Tata has invested around USD 8 million (INR 53.1 crores) for the local assembly of vehicles in Nigeria, it is reported.

When Tata's interest in setting up an assembly plant in Nigeria was made public earlier this year, African media reports said that the Tata Xenon pickup truck would be assembled at the said facility. It is reported that the company has invested around USD 8 million (INR 53.1 crores) to roll out the first batch of locally assembled vehicles. The plant is located at Ijebu Ode, a city in Nigeria, which has 240 Nigerian employees many of whom are being trained in India.

The facility is said to be more than just an assembly unit, as Tata has plans to make it a sub-regional centre from where products will be exported in the future.

Tata Xenon XT 2.2 rear quarter at the 2015 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show
Tata's plant in Nigeria will export products in its region in the future. Since 2006, Tata has sold over 6000 vehicles in the country.

Also Read: Tata Motors plans to assemble AMT kits in India

Operating in Nigeria since 2006, as the distributors of Tata Motors Commercial vehicles, the company has sold over 6,000 vehicles till date thus holding a 15 percent market share specific to the segments the company caters to. Over the last three years the brand has sold more than 500 tractors to small farm holders and commercial contractors.

[Source: Vanguard and CP-Africa]

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