An indigenous auto company, Napmantronix has said it plans to enter the auto frontier of the future by dealing in Electric Vehicles.
Napmantronix Limited is into the supply of automotive Vehicles and is also a Fleet Management Company. “Napmantronix Limited is the only accredited Auto Service Garage for GAC motors in Lagos State outside the GAC headquarters on Ligali Ayorinde street Victoria Island, according to the Chairman of Napmantronix Nigeria Limited, Napoleon Agbelogode.
The company, he said currently holds the Service Level agreement for all GAC cars belonging to the Dangote Refinery in Akodo Lekki Lagos.
Napmantronix Limited currently owns an Ultra-Modern State of the Art Napmantronix Auto Plaza at Ibeju Lekki Lagos, sitting on 6,700 square meters of prime real estate in Ibeju Lekki, where all brands of vehicles can be maintained and serviced. The services available at the Napmantronix Auto Plaza are the following: Engine repairs; Tire sales/maintenance; Car Wash and Detailing; Radiator Steam Washing; Engine Overhaul; Wheel Balancing and Alignment; Used and New Cars and Truck Sales; Automotive Diagnostics; Auto A/C Repairs/Maintenance; Car Key Programming.
They also engage in Complete Auto Body Work/Excellent Car Paint Jobs; Event Center; Boutique; and Food Restaurant and Bar.
Napmantronix is also a member of the BOSCH Global Automotive Garage Chain and it is also teaming up with FIXIT45 to bring unmatched auto service delivery to Lagos state inhabitants.
Speaking on the Journey been so far, he said “It’s been a challenging journey so far from concept to project execution over the past 27 years, Napmantronix was incorporated as a limited liability company in Nigeria on October 10, 1994, with CAC registration number RC:254570, our current headquarters situated at Km42, Lekki Epe Expressway was opened to business on August 13, 2013.
“The biggest challenge with providing auto maintenance services in Nigeria is the lack of competent mechanics to carry out the jobs.
“It is of utmost importance to note that no matter how much advertisement an auto maintenance company embarks on, the ultimate positive advertisement of the auto maintenance company is timely delivery of quality service and avoiding returns jobs as low as practicably possible
“The almost complete absence of OEM representatives for car spare parts is also a major cause for worry in the industry.
“This causes most auto maintenance garages in Lagos state in particular to rely on “fairly used spare parts” sourced locally from Ladipo, Ojuelegba and Owode Onirin Markets. Unfortunately, procurement of spare parts from the above-named markets have no guarantees and the spare parts quality is usually suspect at any point in time.
“Another challenge to being able to deliver quality service to the teeming clientele of Lagos state vehicle owners is the perennial gridlock persistent on our roads, this causes the procurement and delivery of much needed spares to be near impossible if a rush job is to be delivered.
“The continuous downward slide of the Nigerian Naira against the US Dollar also makes an increase in spare parts prices a consistent threat to deal with daily, weekly, monthly and all year round.
“An overbearing number of roadside mechanics who deliver shoddy jobs at very low prices also causes problems for professional auto shops like Napmantronix. This is because when jobs are assessed and quotations provided to clients, they are wont to argue about the high prices they are being given in comparison to the low prices the roadside mechanics would have charged them.”
On a unique App the Napmantronix brand just developed, he said, “At this point in time, I would not like to go into details on the APP, but it is fair enough to say that the App is poised to solve a perennial problem of spares parts distribution to the numerous auto workshops in the Victoria Island/Lekki business corridor.
“The main thrust of the Apps value proposition is to connect sellers of auto spare parts in Ladipo, Ojuelegba and Owode Onirin Markets to the professional auto workshops in the Victoria Island/Lekki business corridor via an online superhighway, that provides visibility, accountability and an improvement in logistics throughput, with of course an overall price/cost of doing business reduction for the entire value/supply chain. This App should be up and running on or before close of business 2021.”
He said the ultimate challenge of the automobile industry in Nigeria at this time is the prohibitive setup cost. Due to the very poor exchange rate of the Nigerian Naira to the US Dollars, to set ps an Automobile Dealership, Automobile Workshop or Automobile Assembly plant is almost out of reach to most people that would want to venture into that sector of the Nigerian business space.
“Lack of an enabling environment is also another source of concern, there are almost always no roads leading to the site where the workshop or dealership is to be located, additionally, there would almost certainly be no electricity and you as the investor would have to provide hardware that ordinarily should have been provided by NEPA.
The most heartbreaking part of it all is that as soon as the investor can muster the funds to procure hardware like Transformers and electric poles and wires that NEPA should naturally have provided. All the items after installation automatically become NEPA property. This to say the least is truly evil.
Multiple-taxation is another challenge to grapple with; Provision of support services and infrastructure by government either local, state, or at the National level is minimal.
On other innovations he has brought to the industry, he said “The Napmantronix Auto Plaza is built in such a way that the client immediately realizes that the primary reason for building the facility is to look after the “owner of the car” after which the care of the car comes second.
“This is because we at Napmantronix recognize that without the car owners, there are no cars. At the Napmantronix Auto Shop, the reception/waiting area for clients has a sliding glass door that allows the client to see our technicians on the shop floor work on their vehicles.
“We have a fully functional restaurant that can cater for all the nutritional needs of the client while his or her vehicle is being fixed. There is a fully stoked boutique that has wears and accessories for Male, female, and children.
“There is also a well-stocked bar for all the drinks the client may need, from soft drinks to beverages, cognacs, whiskeys, and bourbons. You can also order for your favorite tea or coffee.”
According to him, “Nigerian clients are one of the easiest people to work with as long as the quality of work delivered by the auto shop is high. Nigerian clients are willing to pay top Naira for good quality jobs, with little or no returns.
“The auto shop management begins to run into trouble with Nigerian clients when service delivery is of low or very poor quality and plagued with continuous returns for the same faults that were previously fixed.
“Clients also would feel irritated with poor customer service and a poorly organised work environment. Overall Nigerian clients are a fair bunch of people to deal with if the auto shop delivers high quality service with good customer care.”
He advised auto users to try and buy cars that not accidented and are not too old, preferably with low mileage. They should also ensure that they are religious with the “Lube oil change” or planned service regimen of their cars. They should further ensure faults a fixed as quickly as possible once they are identified.The earlier they do away with roadside auto technicians the better for them and their cars.
“They should endeavor to patronize only professional auto shops like Napmantronix Limited.”
Agbelogode said in the next 10 years, he plans for Napmantronix to be the Nigerian market leader in Electric Vehicles, assembly, marketing, sales and after sales service in Nigeria.
He said, “Napmantronix Limited is first and foremost and would always be a supply chain management company. Though it is seen/perceived by most people as an Auto Maintenance Workshop because our Auto Maintenance Business has been in the public eye since we opened the Ultra-Modern State of the Art Napmantronix Auto Plaza at Ibeju Lekki Lagos to the public on August 13, 2013.
Napmantronix has in its mix of business endeavors, the following.
“Safety Tools Almet Napmantronix Limited is the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) representative for Safety Tools Almet the manufacturers of the one and only cold cutting and grinding tools in the world. Safety Tools Almet is based in Norway.”
Source:Thisday