By Adadainfo
Foremost Nigerian motor manufacturing company Innoson has made inroads into Sierra Leone after delivering the first batch of military customised vehicles to the West African country.
The vehicles would be used by Sierra Leone’s military personnel and other military purposes.
It was gathered that the supplies were the first shipment of Innoson vehicles in commercial quantity outside Nigeria.
The export deal comes two years after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
The first batch of the automobiles delivered from Nigeria to Sierra Leone left Queen Elizabeth 2 Port (Sierra Leone’s seaport “Water Quay”) in Freetown on Monday, Innoson Motors said in a press release.
Cornel Osigwe, Innoson Group’s head of Corporate Communications, who issued the release, said the supplies were a part of the promise made to Innoson by Sierra Leone’s Edward Soloku, minister of Internal affairs, and Isaac Ken-Green, president of Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC), when they visited Innoson facilities at Nnewi, Anambra State, recently.
Osigwe said various models of vehicles now being supplied were ordered by Julius Maada Bio, president of the country, who requested vehicles worth $4.7 million for officers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces.
Sierra Leone has therefore become the first country in West Africa to use IVM products outside of Nigeria.
