Innocent Chukwuma, the Chairman of Innoson Motors, has called for increased investment in his brand and other domestically produced goods, emphasizing that this move can play a crucial role in reducing unemployment rates in Nigeria.
During an interview with ARISE NEWS, Chukwuma discussed the significance of boosting orders for locally made products. He highlighted that the level of employment within his company is closely tied to the number of orders they receive.
Presently, Innoson Motors operates at 40% of its production capacity, providing employment for over 7,300 individuals. Chukwuma expressed his aspiration to hire up to 12,000 personnel with the assistance of government support.
“We have reached 40% of our production capacity. We employ people based on the orders we have. I have over 7,300 people working in my establishment. With support from the government, I will employ more than 12,000 persons so that we can reach the unit capacity of the establishment.
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“When we get more orders, we employ more people. We don’t need to take more Nigerians and put them there without working. When we get more orders, we employ more hands.
Chukwuma also acknowledged that although Innoson Motors produces both electric vehicles and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, the latter is more prevalent due to the current cost constraints of manufacturing electric vehicles.
He pointed out that the production of electric vehicles involves high costs, largely due to the need for battery production. This stands in contrast to CNG vehicles, which benefit from existing infrastructure within Nigeria. In the coming year, the company aims to manufacture 16,000 vehicles out of its 30,000-unit capacity.
“Because of the fuel situation of this country, we focus our attention to producing buses for masses. So, we have buses in stock. That two weeks we gave him is to be able to make space for him.
“Electric vehicles are very expensive now. We are doing it but people are not giving the order because the price is higher until we start to produce the battery in Nigeria. If we are not producing the batteries in Nigeria, it would be very expensive. That’s why people are buying the CNG because we have the CNG in Nigeria. This year, we are going to do 16,000 out of the 30,000 unit capacity.” He said