The CIG Motors Company Limited, the sole distributor of GAC brand of vehicles in Nigeria on Wednesday declared that its coming factory would serve as a major employment creation for the Nigerian economy.
The General Manager, CIG Motors Company Limited, Mr. Arogundade Jubril, gave the hint while fielding questions from journalists on the company’s new partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to mark the Professional body’s 51st Annual Conference in Abuja.
CIG Motors donated a brand new GAC GS3 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) to the body of accountants as part of reciprocal support for their endorsement of the brand and to mark their annual conference.
Mr. Jubril said the partnership with the professional body and indeed other similar partnerships in the past is a way of showing how quickly the GAC is being accepted as a brand to look out for in Nigeria’s automobile market.
“We are here in Abuja again with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) to celebrate their 51st Annual Conference and also to exhibit the GAC Motor brand as we usually do.
“This event is a big event and our presence here shows how GAC Motor is being accepted in the Nigerian market. In all the sectors, from the government to the private sector you can see how acceptance is coming.
“We recently showcased the brand at the recent Abuja International Motor Fair, this event has provided another opportunity to engage with Abuja people. We have about 3,000 people attending this event live and about 2,000 joining online and we have been able to reach all of them. So this partnership with ICAN is strategic for us. It is also a way of saying GAC Motor is the brand to look out for in the Nigerian automobile industry”.
Jubril said the brand had also formed similar partnerships with different organizations including Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) among others, while calling on other institutions and organisations in both private and public sector to come for such arrangements.
“Nigeria cannot move forward without industrialization. Every organized nation in the world solved their issues of poverty through industrialization, the same thing must happen to Nigeria. If China could do it Nigeria can do better so we as GAC Motor are not only in the business of selling cars but we are interested in making sure that the environment in which we sell the cars is conducive enough for us to do business. So we create jobs everyday through our companies and sister companies.
“The SKD factory we have is currently run and managed by Nigerians. We have created a lot of employment already but we are moving forward with partnership with Lagos State government to go into real manufacturing of GAC Motor in Nigeria which will create a lot of employment” he said.
Some of the members of ICAN found at the stand of GAC Motor, were full of praise for the vehicles displayed at the event.
Istchay OJ, of the Nuel OJ Holdings, simply described the GAC brand as reliable, stressing his company had already bought two vehicles from the Chinese firm.
“We bought two cars from them before. I think they are a good brand because those cars have not broken down like most. We have been using them for more than a year, good customer service repairs, you know that is why I came to see which new models they have. Like I said, I will definitely say ‘reliable'”.
Atolola Dayo, an ICAN member, said he was so impressed with the beauty of the vehicles that he decided to take pictures with all the vehicles on display.
“I like the aesthetic of the vehicles, the body is a total steel. It is a full masterpiece. And the leather seats are wow. I know their showroom in Lagos but I didn’t know they had something as beautiful as this”.
