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By Moses Akaigwe
Iron Products Industries (IPI) Ltd has been named Truck Assembler/Body Builder of the Year at the 18th Nigeria Auto Journalists’ Association (NAJA) International Auto Awards, reinforcing its position as a key player in Nigeria’s commercial vehicle manufacturing and industrial ecosystem.
The award was announced on Tuesday at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, during the prestigious annual ceremony that celebrates excellence, innovation and resilience across Nigeria’s automotive value chain.
The General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Musa Umar, to the admiration of the large audience, received the prestigious award on behalf of Iron Products Industries (IPI) Ltd.
IPI’s recognition reflects its growing footprint in truck assembly, vehicle body building and localisation of manufacturing processes, as well as its contribution to supporting logistics, construction, mining and infrastructure development nationwide.
The NAJA awards, widely regarded as the industry’s benchmark, assess performance based on product quality, innovation, local content development, aftersales support and overall impact on the Nigerian auto market.
While IPI clinched the Truck Assembler/Body Builder of the Year honour, the awards night also featured other major recognitions across the sector. Dangote Sinotruk emerged Heavy-Duty Truck Brand of the Year, while Lanre Shittu Motors (JAC) won Truck Plant of the Year, highlighting the growing competitiveness of Nigeria’s commercial vehicle segment.
Recently IPI had been cited by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) as a steel structures fabrication and construction company that complies with high quality standards in its steel works, hence the NIS ISO 9001:2015.
A steelwork manufacturer and leader in steel fabrication, especially the construction of light and heavy duty truck bodies, IPI has over the past 50 years diversified into various sectors and executed an array of quality products to hundreds of clients across the country.
Apart from constructing general steel structures which is IPI’s core area, the company also assembles vehicles, constructs trucks/trailers, as well as builds sundry box bodies and refrigerated boxed bodies on light and heavy duty trucks – all of which meet the relevant international standards.
With Mr. Nunu Diwan as the Managing Director/CEO, IPI is a family-owned and managed business founded over 50 years ago which has been satisfying the diverse needs of the public and private sectors in Nigeria.
In the last 50 years, the Group has executed a large number of notable projects. IPI recently completed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport extension, the Indorama Eleme petrochemical plant, a large number of oil & gas tank farms and shopping malls.
The company is also the contractor of choice for a large number of companies such as Total Nigeria PLC, ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola, Flour Mills, Dangote Cement and Sugar, Nigerian Breweries, Novare.”
Speaking at the event, Otunba Joseph Osanipin, Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), commended industry stakeholders for driving local assembly, technology transfer and job creation, noting that such recognitions align with the council’s mandate to reposition the automotive sector as a pillar of industrial growth.
NAJA Chairman, Mr. Theodore Opara, described the awards as a credible platform that continues to spotlight companies making tangible contributions to Nigeria’s evolving automotive ecosystem, particularly in areas of local manufacturing and value addition.
The 2025 edition of the NAJA International Auto Awards marked the 18th year of the initiative, reflecting nearly two decades of industry engagement, advocacy and recognition of excellence.
For Iron Products Industries (IPI) Ltd, the award further underscores its commitment to quality manufacturing, innovation and the development of indigenous capacity in Nigeria’s commercial vehicle and truck body-building segment.
