Follow Us on Google
By Moses Akaigwe
It was a night of honours for both Mikano International (Motors Division) and its flagship brand, Changan, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos where the Nigeria Auto Journalists’ Association (NAJA) held the 2025 edition of its annual awards recently.
While Mikano Motors was bestowed with the maiden accolade of the Auto Company of the Year, its wave-making Changan brand was nominated for a couple of categories, but it was the CS55 that was voted the Best Midsize SUV of 2025, beating some other popular nominees on the night.
Changan CS55, which was the reigning Car of the Year (having outshone two other top contenders last year, 2024), had to relinquish the crown for another car to be crowned to begin a new reign (even though many were of the well considered view that it deserved another tenure).
Nevertheless, it was a smiling Karima Okunola, Head of Marketing at Mikano Motors, that stepped up the stage to receive both honours for the company and the brand.
The impressive showing by Mikano at the 2025 NAJA Awards held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, did not come to many a guest as a surprise, because the company is a rapidly growing automotive player focusing on bringing quality vehicles to Nigeria, and offering consumer-friendly models with strong warranties and premium features.
To crown it all, the vehicles are fully backed by the auto company with very satisfactory after-sales support, including large stocks of replacement parts at modern service centres manned by highly trained technicians.
In about six years that Mikano Motors has been in the auto assembly and distribution, it has succeeded in setting the standards for even the competitors to marvel at.
The partnership with Changan Auto less than three years ago, has further enhanced this reputation.
That explains why apart from this year’s Auto Company of the Year and Best Midsize SUV awards and last year’s Car of the Year for CS55, Mikano Motors has in the past four years won other top NAJA Awards honours.
The haul includes, but not limited to, the most deserved Auto Showroom of the Year for its masterpiece of a car display ambience on Adeola; Odeku Street in Victoria Island, Lagos; and the Most Innovative Auto Company (2023).
The 2025 NAJA Awards once again underscored the critical role of leading brands like Mikano Motors and Changan in strengthening Nigeria’s auto industrial backbone, while celebrating outstanding achievements across the nation’s automotive landscape generally..
Mikano Motors officially launched the Changan brand in Nigeria early in 2023, marking the start of selling Chinese-made class-beating SUVs, sedans, and crossovers, with a major celebratory gala in December 2023 – solidifying their partnership and growth in the Nigerian market.
It didn’t take long before Milano Motors’ integrity and professional approach to auto business elevated Changan to become the preferred and prominent Chinese automotive brand in Nigeria, known for its quality and diverse offerings.
Boasting a wide spectrum of models and catering to every taste and requirement, Changan is fast becoming one of the leading auto brands in Nigeria, with a high capacity modern auto assembly plant located on the outskirts of Lagos.
The opulent and luxurious UNI series a premium tier sub-brand, under the Changan marque, has to a very large extent aided the reputation of the Changan as the the maker of futuristic, luxury SUVs known for their distinctive design, advanced technology, and comfortable interior.
No wonder the UNI-K, which is the flagship of the sub-brand, is often compared to a Porsche Cayenne.
Apart from the UNI-K, there is the smaller, but no less impressive UNI- T, also with a vast array of modern features, such as remote driving, as well as the UNI-V sedan with a futuristic design and equally futuristic features.
The Changan line-up also includes the (aforementioned award-winning) CS55, CS75, CS95 and CS35 SUVs, as well as the popular Alsvin sedan. Attracting customers in the pick-up segment is the Hunter pick-up and the much improved newer Plus model.
Globally, these are all vehicles that contribute to Changan Auto’s enviable reputation as the manufacturer of a wide range of very safe and top quality vehicles used in all parts of the world.
The automaker is also ranked first among China’s best-selling homegrown auto brands, also because of its quality.
———————
