By Moses Akaigwe
Foremost industrialist and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Company Limited (IVM), Chief Innocent Chukwuma, has been honoured by the Nigeia Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) for, among other things, pioneering the manufacture of compressed natural gas-powered vehicles in Nigeria.
Also honoured at the NAJA Awards held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday, December 14, 2023, was the Chairman of the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) Committee, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, for his efforts in ensuring that Nigerians embrace gas as alternative fuel.
At the colourful ceremony attended by key stakeholders including the Director General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr Joseph Osanipin, Innoson Vehicle also emerged the 2023 Auto Plant of the Year in Nigeria.
Chukwuma started the production of CNG vehicles about two years before subsidy on fuel was removed and CNG became the preferred and popular alternative to petrol and diesel,.
As at May 29, 2023 when the Federal Government declared that subsidy had gone, Innoson had about 100 units of sundry CNG vehicles at its premises in Nnewi, Anambra State in addition to those already delivered to customers in some parts of the country.
Moreover, Innoson demonstrated long ago that it has the capacity and facility to convert vehicles currently running on petrol and diesel to CNG, even though the service is restricted to IVM customers.
The automaker has embarked on the construction of a much bigger multi-billion naira IVM plant annex covering about 300 plots of land in Nnewi, and is likely to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2024 to concentrate on manufacturing autogas vehicles..
Commenting on the award, General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd, Nnewi, Obum Osigwe, who represented Chukwuma at the event said: “I wholeheartedly on behalf of my boss and Chairman Chief Dr Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma CON accept this prestigious award for the manufacturing plant of the year. We are grateful for this honour and we would keep doing our best for our country to put her on world map.
“I would like to thank the organisers (NAJA) for this honour. Thank you for shedding light on the activities of auto manufacturers in Nigeria. We are immensely grateful because without you, Nigerians won’t know our toils and travails in manufacturing world standard vehicles for the citizens of our country and Africa in general. Thank you so much and God bless our nation Nigeria“
The NGEP Chairman, Dr. Ibrahim, was represented at the ceremony by Engr. Adeyemi Morufu from the National Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA}, who received his Autogas Promoter of the Year on his behalf.
Dr Ibrahim, a multi-disciplinarian has over 30 years of cognate experience in the international energy industry both within and outside Nigeria.
The NGEP committee which he is the Chairman of has a mandate to expand domestic gas supply and stimulate demand in the country through the effective and efficient mobilisation and utilisation of all available assets,