The Charge‘d Affair of Nigeria in Mali, Yara Abdulsalam, has revealed that Innoson Motors, a Nigerian vehicle-manufacturing company has signed MoU with a Malian firm to export 400 locally made vehicles to Mali.
Abdulsalam, who made the announcement when he led a delegation of businessmen from Mali to visit the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama explained that the positive development was the outcome of a “Made-in-Nigeria products exhibition” held in Bamako in 2016 by Ginco Group, a Nigerian firm based in Mali to show case Nigeria’s potentials.
Abdulsalam said: “from the exhibition, Taxi Plus VIP approached the embassy that they wanted to import vehicles from China but, we told them that we have indigenous company in Nigeria that manufactures vehicles.
“They started talking with Innoson through Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC) and the deal was later finalised.
“Mali is the centre of Francophone countries and has boundary with eight countries. If the MoU materialises, it will positively affect all other countries and will increase Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria…
“So what you are achieving can be the beginning of revolution in our country; the longest journey has to start from somewhere. What you are doing represents a giant leap for Africa because it involved trading among ourselves.
“What I found so interesting is that we are trading at the highest technology level with the export of automobile, cars and buses to one another. As we are now laying the foundation, the sky is the limit for Africa; it means we have broken that glass ceiling that is holding us down,” he said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Onyeama exclaimed that “This is what the ministry wants Nigerian embassies around the world to be doing; to serve as small hub to promote trade relationship.’’
