The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah has urged the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)-assembled Auto Advisory Team on Action Plan on Automotive Industry in Nigeria to find a way to bring about workable plan for the proposed Nnewi Auto-Industrial Park in Anambra State within the shortest possible time.
The Honourable Minister made this demand while meeting with the UNIDO-assembled Advisors which comprised of Industrial Park Consultants, High level Technical Advisors, Financiers – African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK), Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) and National Automotive Design and Development Council, among others. The meeting and the follow-up brainstorming session took place at the Honourable Minister’s Conference Room, on Thursday, 15 February, 2018.
When he was taken through a presentation on ‘Action Plan on Automotive Industry in Nigeria’ done by the Project Manager, V.M. Bhagharas from Mahindra (Renowned Auto-Makers in India) and David Brown of Ecorys, the Honourable Minister was assured that a world-class Auto Industrial Park can be delivered for Nnewi.
The presentation was a response to earlier requests of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for UNIDO to help Nigeria develop world-class automotive project and to develop master plan for the parts, and especially for the development of Auto-Industrial Park at Nnewi, Anambra State.
Dr. Enenlamah repeatedly sought to have the plan being put forward for his consideration to address issues of operators for the three centres – Emission, Materials and Standards which he revealed Nigeria already has.
The Minister also sought to have the Advisory Team address the issue of integration of operators, tenants and off-take for the proposed Auto-Industrial Park at Nnewi. He further sought to know how much of Mahindra’s vast experience will be implementable at the Nnewi Park.