Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, popularly known as Innoson is the Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Co. Ltd, the first indigenous vehicle manufacturing plant in Nigeria. He was born in 1961 in Umudim, Nnewi,in Anambra State. He is the last of six children born to Mr. and Mrs.
Chukwuma Mojekwu of Uru-Umudim Nnewi, in Anambra State. After his education, he started trading in spare parts under the name Innoson Nigeria Ltd in 1981. His company is next after Leventis and Boulos Enterprises in assembling branded motorcycles in the country.

Dr. Chukwuma loves playing tennis as a form of relaxation and he is married to Mrs. Ebele Chukwuma and they are blessed with children.

His business has expanded into four manufacturing companies namely: Innoson Nigeria Limited Nnewi, manufacturers of motorcycles, tri-cycles, spare parts and accessories; Innoson Tech. & Industries Co. Ltd Enugu, manufacturers of Household and Industrial Plastics, Health & Safety accessories, Storage containers, Fixtures & Fittings, Electrical components & accessories; Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Nnewi, manufacturers of Capacity City bus, Mini & Midi buses, Pick-Up trucks and Garbage Collecting vehicles; General Tyres & Tubes Co. Ltd Enugu, manufacturers of Tyres and Tubes.

The vehicles in IVM fleet range from cars, trucks, SUVs, compactors, etc . Presently, the company has made in-road into some African countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, Chad, Niger, Togo.

As the first indigenous motor manufacturing company in Nigeria, he says he wanted to prove that Nigerians can do it. This he says has been proved. According to him, the inspiration to go into vehicle manufacturing was drawn from a desire to see Nigerians drive new cars. According to him in an interview with Vanguard he says “Nigeria has become a dumping ground for second hand cars. I know it was the high price of new vehicles that made Nigerians resort to patronising old vehicles, but since we decided to manufacture the vehicles here, the price is affordable, and our people can drive new vehicles again,”

When the car manufacturing company began, he faced a lot of challenges because some people felt it will not work, but today, he is the first black man to embark on such a venture.

Due to his group of manufacturing companies, he has ensured employment of more than 7,400 Nigerians who work in the company’s factory and are all on his payroll.

Due to his outstanding contributions to the development of Nigeria, he has been given several awards both locally, Nationally and internationally.

In November, 2013, Innoson was made Deputy Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Coalition for Jonathan/Sambo Presidency. He was made the honorary Life Vice President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA) on November 23, 2013; Ambassador for Peace by St. Andrews Anglican Church, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, April, 2012; Entrepreneur of the Year by Wesley University of Science and Technology, Akure, Ondo State, March 2012.

He was also given the Most Outstanding Indigenous Entrepreneur in the Manufacturing Sector by Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) in January 2012; National Council Member, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

He was Conferred the National Honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) on November 2011 by His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan; Awarded Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (DBA) by Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu in November 2011 amongst several other awards.

During an interview with vanguard, he recalls how the whole success story started. This is what he said: “I started as a small business man dealing on spare parts at Nnewi. At that time, people were bringing only second hand motorcycles to Nigeria, and I felt there should be a way to reduce the price of the new ones, so that people will be interested enough to buy new ones, rather than the second hand motorcycles.
“I travelled overseas and found out that there were four companies importing motorcycles into Nigeria. First was Leventis that was bringing the Honda brand, the second company was Yamaco that was bringing Yamaha, the other company was Bolus that was bringing Suzuki and the fourth was CFAO that was bringing moblet.
“These were the companies that were dealing on motorcycle in Nigeria, and my company was the next one. So when I went there, I discovered that when they brought the motorcycles in crate and each crate contained one motorcycle which took a lot of space and you can put about 40 units in one 40ft container. In one container with 40 units of motorcycles in a 40ft container, the motorcycle will become expensive. So after evaluating it, I went to overseas and packed 200 units in one 40ft container and my price came down by 40%. Of course, this was cheaper.” This feat he was able to achieve because he discovered that if he disassemble the parts and brought them in different parts to be manually assembled here, it reduced the initial cost of packing the fully assembled machines.

This ingenuity on the part of Innoson brought down the initial cost of
Motorcycles from N150,000 to N60,000.

It was in the course of motorcycle importation, that he discovered that there are a lot of plastics in a motorcycle, and that is one of the reasons he set up a plastic plant to produce the plastics components locally. These are some of the things he did to bring down the cost of motorcycle to about N60,000. Today, nobody thinks of buying second hand motorcycle anymore in Nigeria. Everybody wants to buy a new one because a new one is cheap, and he had promised that he was going to do the same thing with motor vehicles.

Today however, his promise has become reality as his company is now into full time manufacturing of new vehicles in Nigeria and at a very cheap rate.

http://ifedubatochukwu..com/2015/06/great-igbo-innovators-dr-chukwuma.html

Our very own Anambra born Billionaire and entrepreneur , Innocent Chukwuma. Good thing he did not set up his Motor manufacturing plant in Lagos. Some unscrupulous Yorubas might have been chanting "Go back to the East!" By now.

May he live long

My hero.this is the type of people we need in Nigeria and not some oil dependent mofos

igbos the pride of Nigeria.

Igbo's and their inferiority complex again

crusadistic:
Igbo's and their inferiority complex again

you have started smoking that thing again

What is the innovation in car assemblage for goodness sake. Of all cars, you are making noise over assemblage of Made in China cars.

Companies have been doing this in this country for decades in other regions without noise making.

Celebrating people for their achievements is commendable, but having a bragging right over what is not is sheer stupidity.

That's my man, he started his business long ago and has sustained its successes by the grace of God and dints of hard work, meanwhile some ignoramuses tied his success to GEJ'S administration, mtchewww!
Kudos Bros

Good one Mr Innocent, u 're a role model to other African youths. But ensure that they is a transfer of technology from ur expatrate staff to the local or indegineous staff.

Lol

cephaswizzy:
Guy i no blame u. oya list the other regions that u know

So you have not heard of Leyland, PAN, ANAMMCO, Proforce, Stallion, Transit Support Services, VON, Hyundai Motors Night, Tilad Nigeria.

All these assemble cars in Nigeria, without noise making.

Super1Star:
What is the innovation in car assemblage for goodness sake. Of all cars, you are making noise over assemblage of Made in China cars.

Companies have been doing this in this country for decades in other regions without noise making.

Celebrating people for their achievements is commendable, but having a bragging right over what is not is sheer stupidity.

u got it all wrong,Innoson makes cars 80 percent made in Biafra and 20 percent made in China.
IVM UMU and IVM FOX is 100percent made in Biafra

zuchyblink:
u got it all wrong,Innoson makes cars 80 percent made in Biafra and 20 percent made in China.
IVM UMU and IVM FOX is 100percent made in Biafra

You are getting it wrong.

others do the same by building the body. All other vital components are shipped down to Nigeria. Remove the 20% from that assembled car and you will have nothing but a children's car made from canned milk tin.

Super1Star:


You are getting it wrong.

others do the same by building the body. All other vital components are shipped down to Nigeria. Remove the 20% from that assembled car and you will have nothing but a children's car made from canned milk tin.

peugeot assemble every thing and they are done by white men and not Nigerians.Innoson is the first car manufacturing company owned by and runned by black people

zuchyblink:
peugeot assemble every thing and they are done by white men and not Nigerians.Innoson is the first car manufacturing company owned by and runned by black people

Another lie.

Have you not seen Chinese people in Innoson before? Before you come to NL to spew rubbish, think twice.

Tell me the red people that are in Proforce assembling/building/armouring armoured vehicles for Nigeria Police and Army or the yellow ones in Tiflad that are assembling light buses for them.

Proforce has been in existence long before your Innoson. It is not by noise making. He started making noise under GEJ when he got government patronage. Now wonder he donated massively towards GEJ's campaign.

Park well jare.

crusadistic:
Igbo's and their inferiority complex again

Who gat inferiority complex, you or the Igbo's.mofo

Super1Star:


Another lie.

Have you not seen Chinese people in Innoson before? Before you come to NL to spew rubbish, think twice.

Tell me the red people that are in Proforce assembling/building/armouring armoured vehicles for Nigeria Police and Army or the yellow ones in Tiflad that are assembling light buses for them.

Proforce has been in existence long before your Innoson. It is not by noise making. He started making noise under GEJ when he got government patronage. Now wonder he donated massively towards GEJ's campaign.

Park well jare.

those chinese man are employed by Innoson.
There is no other car manufacturing plant in Nigeria except Innoson.oothers are doing pure car assembly

zuchyblink:
those chinese man are employed by Innoson.
There is no other car manufacturing plant in Nigeria except Innoson.oothers are doing pure car assembly

They are not employed by Innoson. Get it right.

They are on secondment to the plant by the company that owns the franchise of the vehicles that Innoson is assembling. He is not paying their salaries. They are protecting the interest of the Chinese partners, just the same way Frenchs are doing in PAN.

For you to manufacture cars yourself, you must produce your brain box, engine block and other vital parts. If car body parts building is car manufacturing, then even a road side welder can do that.

They are all car assemblage plants. Learn to use the right words, when you are in the comity of learned people.

Super1Star:


You are getting it wrong.

others do the same by building the body. All other vital components are shipped down to Nigeria. Remove the 20% from that assembled car and you will have nothing but a children's car made from canned milk tin.

Mr Man, why not start assembling your own vehicles and stop whining like a woman all over this thread.

gboss4sure:



Mr Man, why not start assembling your own vehicles and stop whining like a woman all over this thread.

Master Boy, seems bubbling your bubble of noise making and chest beating over what is not, got on your wrong side.

Somebody is lying here.
Innoson is not using anybodys franchise or protecting anybody's company. Innoson is 100% indigenous.
The white people are there to train our locals and if you go to the industry, the number of whites keep depreciating.
Innoson said he started with 60% foreign involvement but he is at 30% now and he hopes to keep improving.
In other words, he bought the designs and therefore owns them, plus the foreign workers.

Again, many components, 70% are made in nnewi while the engine/axle are imported.
Nnewi makes car and motorcycle parts, ibeto group supplies batteries to him, upholstery, body, etc are made by his fellow nnewi industrialists .

Why can't people just read up and stop exhibiting wishful thinking.

InyinyaAgbaOku:
Somebody is lying here.
Innoson is not using anybodys franchise or protecting anybody's company. Innoson is 100% indigenous.
The white people are there to train our locals and if you go to the industry, the number of whites keep depreciating.
Innoson said he started with 60% foreign involvement but he is at 30% now and he hopes to keep improving.
In other words, he bought the designs and therefore owns them, plus the foreign workers.

Again, many components, 70% are made in nnewi while the engine/axle are imported.
Nnewi makes car and motorcycle parts, ibeto group supplies batteries to him, upholstery, body, etc are made by his fellow nnewi industrialists .

Why can't people just read up and stop exhibiting wishful thinking.

don't mind the Yoruba cry baby trying to turn things upside down.Innoson tyres and wheels are made by Innoson and the factory is located in Enugu

zuchyblink:
don't mind the Yoruba cry baby trying to turn things upside down.Innoson tyres and wheels are made by Innoson and the factory is located in Enugu

He should paste the link of what he has against innoson, let me bombard him with several links and evidences from those who visited, about what I wrote.
Nigerians and inferiority complex

Igbos dey try sha when it comes to innovation. How I wish nigeria gives every person the support to succeed and not killing dreams by attaching politics to everything

bosedekemi:
Igbos dey try sha when it comes to innovation. How I wish nigeria gives every person the support to succeed and not killing dreams by attaching politics to everything

Innovation huh?