By Adaobi Rhema Oguejiofor
Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM), a leading Nigerian automobile manufacturer, has disclosed that the Company acquired robot painting equipment in order to increase productivity and improve the quality of its vehicles.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, who revealed this at the auto company’s 13th anniversary and presentation of ISO 9001:2015 by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) in Nnewi, Anambra State, also said that Innoson has increased its annual factory capacity from 10,000 vehicles to 60,000 vehicles, which is an increase of about 500 per cent.
Chukwuma said that the Company upgraded its factory production from manual to semi-automation and standard automation, noting that the 500 percent increase in vehicle production was made possible through the company’s upgrade to semi-automation.
In his own words, “in our pursuit of perfection, we have upgraded our factory from manual production to semi-automation and then to standard automation, which has seen our production capacity rise from 10,000 vehicles to 60,000 vehicles per year. As we mark this milestone in our journey of creating quality Nigerian-made vehicles, we are honored to have you all join us for this momentous occasion.
“We have come a long way since our humble beginning in October 2010. Our vision was simply to provide reliable, durable, and affordable vehicles for Nigerians. And we have stayed true to that vision with our commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction. I am overjoyed to announce that today we will be receiving the ISO 9001-2015 Quality Management Certificate, as well as the MANCAP Certificate from the Standards Organization of Nigeria. This is a testament to our dedication to upholding international standards of quality and excellence in all aspects of our operations.”
The Director-General (DG) of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, while presenting the ISO 9001:2015 and MANCAP certificates to the auto company, said that the Innoson brand of vehicles had met all international standards and were, therefore, fit to be used in Nigeria and beyond the country.
Okeke, who was represented by a SON director, Engr. Fred Akingbesote, said that awarding the certificates to Innoson Vehicles shows that the company went through a rigorous process of inspections and quality assurance in the last five years or even more and also demonstrated with the relevant product standards and is providing products that meet consumer expectations, as well as offering value for money, among other benefits.
“With the award of MANCAP’s certificate to the Innoson brand of vehicles, we are demonstrating how standardization and conformity to standards offer strategic opportunities for increased efficiency, set benchmarks, and help promote made-in-Nigeria products to the international market, as this award will boost Innoson’s brand across borders. We are in effect saying that the Innoson brand is fit to be used in Nigeria and beyond,” he concluded.
In a statement, which was released by the Head of Corporate Communications and Affairs for IVM Innoson Group, Cornel Osigwe, it revealed that the auto manufacturer has improved steadily on the quality of its Vehicles by ensuring it gets feedbacks from the users of the Innoson Vehicles to know their views on their IVM experience and with the feedback gotten, the company sought better ways to improve the tastes and preferences of its customers in order to suit the environment. According to the statement, feedback from the users of Innoson Vehicles attests to durability and high standards of the vehicles.
“We acknowledge the fact that the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. Innoson Vehicles will continue to improve steadily till it becomes one of the best automobile companies in the world. The success stories of Innoson Vehicles in the past 13 years have shown that Innoson Vehicles is not about the story of the man Innoson, but the story that Nigeria can now manufacture vehicles on its own, and its products can be supplied to the African continent. Innoson Vehicles is a reminder of the fact that whatever is wrong with Nigeria can be corrected by what is right in Nigeria,” the statement read.
IVM officially begun manufacturing in Nigeria on October 15th, 2010. At the time, the then President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, commissioned a 10,000-vehicle production capacity at the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Plant in Nnewi, Anambra State. It started with the production of buses and pick-ups but has grown into multiple product lines of vehicles.