Honda Motor Co has begun passenger car manufacturing operations in Nigeria at an all-new plant set up within the existing Honda motorcycle plant. This new plant is Honda’s first automobile production plant in Africa.
The company has said that Honda Automobile Western Africa Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda in Nigeria, began local production of the Accord sedan on July 10, 2015. The plant has an annual production capacity of 1,000 units. Honda first began motorcycle production and sales in Nigeria in 1980. In 2013, the company set up a local automobile business subsidiary and began the import and sales of its cars.
Honda, which says it views Africa as a new growth market, has been expanding its motorcycle, automobile and power products business in the southern part of Africa through its local subsidiary established in South Africa in 2000. In Kenya, Honda established an automobile business office in December 2011, followed by a motorcycle production and sales subsidiary in March 2013.
According to Yoshi Yamane, senior managing officer and director, Honda Motor Co, “Establishment of the first Honda automobile production plant in Africa is an epoch-making challenge for us. This production operation incorporates know-how Honda has amassed through its long history of motorcycle business in this market, and we could re-discover the strengths of Honda at the spot of manufacturing operations. I expect that this initiative will lead to a great leap in our automobile business in Nigeria and become a first step toward expansion to the entire African market.”