It is not routine news to hear that a Limousine has been manufactured in Nigeria. Constructed with 50 per cent locally-sourced parts, the car is proudly Nigerian.
It was designed and built in the country by an indigenous engineer, the Managing Director of Jacey-jon Engineering Company Limited, Dr. John Nkworka.
Engineer Nkworka, who worked with Anambara Motor Manufacturing Limited Company, (ANAMCO) between1980 and 1990, left and decided to embark on the innovation and construction of different cars with locally sourced materials.
The Limousine has been showcased in different trade fairs and shows in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and other places in the country. Nkworka said he constructed many unique cars with different designs.
“I constructed the Limo to promote made-in-Nigeria cars. Apart from the Limousine, we built Armoured Personnel Cars, fire-fighting vehicles, as well as refuse disposal vehicles. We also refurbish old ones at 25 per cent price of new ones,” Nworker said, adding that the company’s products last long.
The engineer also revealed that there are so many things they do to encourage Nigerians “at this difficult time” and that they will soon commission a plant for the construction of made- in-Nigeria vehicles. “We will soon open our plant for the construction of Nigerian vehicles, which will be a breakthrough for Nigeria because it will create jobs for the people,” he said.
But what motivates Dr. Nworka? Schooled in Germany where he got a Phd, he pointed out that he was driven by the desire to contribute his quota in making Nigeria an industrialised nation. This was his major reason for returning to Nigeria.
Nworka also insisted that industrialization is one of the major ways employment can be provided in the country, adding that he spent millions of naira to acquire materials used for construction.
“You see there is one thing about manufactured goods,” Nworka said. “If you are able to produce more than 50 per cent of the component then you can say you are a manufacturer. So what we use here is more than fifty per cent locally sourced materials and we can proudly say that this is a made in Nigeria Limousine.”
The engineer maintained that a limousine does not have a fixed price, but rather, the price is dependent on the materials and design. “If you want a custom-made limousine, the price goes up to as much as N250 million. The one I constructed is less than N8 million,” he said.
But the achievement came with challenges. Nworka’s major challenge while on the project was funding.
