Honda Manufacturing Nigeria Limited last week commemorated its 40th anniversary of doing business in the country with the roll-out of a one million motorcycle from its Ota factory in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.
To underscore the importance of the Honda brand to Japan and its citizens, the Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Nigeria, Takayuki Shinozawa, led the Japanese government delegation to the event, which was also attended by high-powered team from Honda Motors Company from Japan and Africa/Middle East region.
Shinozowa said it was heart-warming for the company to have been in business in Nigeria for the 40 years, which he noted as an indication that its products had been well received by the people.
According to him, it is true that Honda has become a global brand but its acceptance in the Nigerian market completes its success story that it has something to offer everyone in every economy.
“I’m particularly happy about the popularity of the Honda brand in Nigeria as demonstrated by the number of people I see using Honda’s products across the country, which has been shown by the company today with the roll-out of the one million Honda motorcycle.”
He expressed gratitude to the company and the workers for giving Nigerians products that they cherished and for representing Japan, the home of Honda, well in the country.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Motor Company, Takahiro Hachigo, in his message to the event congratulated Honda Nigeria for the feat it had achieved in the country.
He particularly described the success of the ACE 110 motorbike in Nigeria as cheering as this had contributed immensely to the achievement of one million motorbikes from the Ota factory.
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said he was impressed with the commitment of the auto firm and its business ethos, noting that it would make it easy to attain the industrial revolution agenda of his administration for the state.
Represented at the event by his deputy, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the governor said his administration’s policies were geared towards improving the prosperity of hardworking individuals and companies.
He said the state government would improve the infrastructural facilities in the state including road network to speed up the industrial revolution.
According to him, the policies of the state government will make it easy for companies to operate efficiently, especially by improving facilities in the existing industrial areas of Ota, Agbara and Sagamu.
The governor identified one of the biggest problems facing industries in the state as road network, especially getting in and out of Ota-Agbara to other places, adding that the state government was working on it.
“We know that industrialisation is the best way to improve prosperity. The Ogun State Government is working with manufacturers to make sure that the challenges that they have been experienced in the past are sorted out and what they have been doing to date is improved upon.
“The governor has risen up to the challenge. And he is working hand-in-hand with the Lagos State Government to make sure that we come up with solutions to make access to industries much easier and make life easier for manufacturers.
The Managing Director of the company, Katsuhiro Murooka, said Honda had created hundreds of jobs since inception .
He said the manufacturing company would continue to provide value through its products and services and enhance the living standard of Nigerians as well as boost the national economy.
The Director General, Director- General, Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council, Jelani Aliyu, represented by his Director of Policy and Planning, Umar Farouk Jekada, said the council said the nation’s automotive policy had improved the auto sector in the last five years.
He recalled that prior to the introduction of the national auto policy in 2013, almost all existing assembly plants were grounded and stressed that the industry would be entering into a new phase of the national automotive industry policy with the new Presidential Order 05 directing all government agencies to buy Nigeria-made vehicles for official/operational use.
Source: Punch
