Volkswagen Automobile Group has reopened its auto assembly factory on the Badagry Expressway, Lagos, after 20 years of suspending operations in the country.

According to the German automaker, the reopening was made possible through its partnership agreement with a private auto company, the Stallion Group for the assembly of the Volkswagen brand of vehicles in the country in line with the National Automotive Industrial Plan announced by the federal government in October 2013.

A statement by the Stallion Group, which quoted Ratz Wolfgang, leader, Volkswagen Group’s delegation from Germany, added that the plant has rolled out the first set of vehicles, which includes Passat, Jetta, CC and Amarok models from the rejuvenated plant.

“Today marks the revival of the assembly of Volkswagen vehicles in Nigeria. Volkswagen has returned to Nigeria to continue a long history that began in the 1970s,” Wolfgang said in the statement.

“We are certain that further growth is possible, which is why Volkswagen is constantly searching for new opportunities to increase its global market and sales potential, and we appreciate the fact that we are able to strengthen our business relationship with our professional partner, Stallion Group.”

Sunil Vaswani, chairman of Stallion Group, disclosed that the group acquired the moribund Volkswagen of Nigeria plant, resuscitated it and commenced the assembling of buses, trucks, pick-ups and passenger vehicles at the facility.

He said it was assembling Nissan, Hyundai, Ashok-Leyland and IVECO vehicle brands at the factory, while it had also developed a large team of skilled human resources following extensive training by specialists from the respective principals.

“This is a great moment for Stallion in partnering a world leading global brand like Volkswagen,” he said.

“We are immensely pleased to bring back the proud legacy of Nigeria’s automotive industry, the Volkswagen brand that once was indigenously produced at the same premises.

“Stallion is committed to investing and expanding its operations in the automotive value chain across multiple global brands and paving the way for Nigeria to establish itself as a regional leader in the automobile eco-system.”

He described the launch of Volkswagen vehicles as “another major catalyst for the revival of Nigeria’s automotive industry, which could lead to the development of multiple ancillary industries and component manufacturers, apart from fostering engineering skills and generating employment”.

This is what their office looks like before it went comatose

[img]https://1.bp..com/-pp0CiMxheAw/XSiIOPfBvTI/AAAAAAAAdwo/YGsJjVC3yUUhwDNXWFiWPQijbZMz3AynQCLcBGAs/s1600/Volks%2B2.jpg[/img]

See their range of cars in the 1980s when producing in Nigeria


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1RKdq6kqlk


Source:
https://www.autoreportng.com/2019/07/after-20-years-volkswagen-reopens.html

Nice one... We hope to see more

See more of their offices here

https://www.autoreportng.com/2019/07/after-20-years-volkswagen-reopens.html

The first and fastest road to having a functioning automobile industry is to have a functioning and efficient steel industry. Without this,we will keep on assembling car parts from other countries.

Bad timing... Innoson ti take over.

I prefer manufacturing not assembling of part
.
.
.
After 20years still assembling

Davash222:
Bad timing... Innoson ti take over.

Nairaland innoson
Or what!!!

I think its time we do away with dual citizenship. If you are a citizen of a foreign country either by birth or naturalisation you should be forced to denounce your Nigerian citizenship as it is technically unfathomable to have the best interest of two countries at heart.

Nigeria is slowly but surely progressing and one day, it will undergo the same scale of economic growth and prosperity that China has enjoyed over the last 30 years. All those who ran away and abandoned Nigeria for greener pastures abroad, will be the same ones begging to return for better opportunities.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Buhari Cabal is working.

Nigeria should also give Innoson (and Dangote's PAN in Kaduna ) all the necessary support for them to compete favourably with others.


This is a step in the right direction

Really? After 20 years ??

Harlem2:
I prefer manufacturing not assembling of part
.
.
.
After 20years still assembling

thousands of miles begins with a step.

One step at a time

When will benz open theirs?

This is good news. Even though na coupling them go dey do, it is still very good for the economy.

Some people will say it's Baba

Others think it's Sanwoo

Even some others will say it's Ambode

Me think it's

Dead on arrival

BINTLE
YERI' NBETO
GET DOWN MAKE I GET DOWN
IJAPA

Hmmn

Harlem2:
I prefer manufacturing not assembling of part
.
.
.
After 20years still assembling

After 20 years your country can't boost of constant electricity

Them be run like Santana

Welcome back

B

oz4real83:
The first and fastest road to having a functioning automobile industry is to have a functioning and efficient steel industry. Without this,we will keep on assembling car parts from other countries.

Would the authorities have enough sense to follow up on the wisdom you just shared above?

I think NOT!

How many nigerians can afford new car

Skepticus:


Would the authorities have enough sense to follow up on the wisdom you just shared above?

I think NOT!

Not in Nigeria

Good.
I hope we can have very little importation in the shortest possible time.

Also our hope for cheap electric cars in Nigeria rest on local manufacturing.

gurujoe:

After 20 years your country can't boost of constant electricity

Yes we can
I have constant electricity now