…as all new Nissan Patrol has been unveiled to the Ghanaian market
Nissan has appointed longtime partner Japan Motors as its partner in an all-new vehicle assembly facility in Ghana.
The appointment which is as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2018 between Nissan and the government of Ghana to lay the foundation for a sustainable automotive manufacturing industry in the country.
The first model to be assembled at the new facility will be the all-new Nissan Navara pick-up, unveiled by Nissan earlier this month. Nissan has a long heritage within the pick-up segment and the new model will be produced to specifications created for the African market.
The continued development of Nissan’s African manufacturing base is a key part of the company’s regional midterm strategy under Nissan NEXT, the company’s global transformation plan. Once operational, the Ghana facility will add to Nissan’s existing African production capacity at plants in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria.
The announcement demonstrates Nissan’s ongoing commitment to investing in Ghana, as well as the expansion of the country’s automotive sector through the Ghana Automotive Development Policy.
“Ghana presents a great opportunity for investment, partnership and growth for Nissan,” said Shinkichi Izumi, Managing Director of Nissan Africa South.
“Establishing a long-term automotive industrial development policy will provide investors with further confidence, boost the local economy and create jobs. We look forward to the continued partnership as Japan Motors officially begins assembling Nissan vehicles in Ghana.”
Construction of the new facility is already underway, as are the recruitment and appointment of new employees, skills development, and technical training to share and apply Nissan’s global quality production standards.
“Japan Motors sees great potential in Ghana,” said Salem Kalmoni, Managing Director of Japan Motors. “We’re thrilled to make this significant investment and to be in a partnership that will unlock job opportunities and contribute to the economic development of Ghana. With world-class training, the local assembly plant will deliver an excellent product to meet our customers’ needs.”
Japan Motors Trading Company Limited (JMTC), has launched the new Nissan Patrol which comes into the market with two variations which is the 5.6Litre V8 and the 4.0Litre V6 engine types.
The new Japanese automobile was unveiled to the market as an SUV flagship model.
Speaking during the launch in Accra, Mr. Salem Kalmoni, the Managing Director of Japan Motors, said “the Nissan Patrol was engineered to suit the world’s most demanding driving conditions to give its drivers and passengers a comfortable experience”.
He also noted that Nissan’s decision to provide options in the Patrol lineup with the introduction of the smaller 4.L V6 engine variant was to widen its range to meet demands of customers in different markets.
“The Patrol is one of Nissan’s longest-standing and most cherished models with a long and proud heritage,” he added.
Mr Imad Ghorayeb, General Manager for Nissan West Africa, lauded Japan Motors for being the first dealer in the West African sub-region to launch the new Nissan Patrol model.
“The Ghanaian company remained one of the most awarded dealers and most reliable partners in the African market and as such the market should continuously trust Japan Motors for the quality Nissan vehicles,” he said.
The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Tsutomu Himeno whose speech was read on his behalf by Mr Oyama Hiromoto, Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission, called on Ghanaians to trust Japanese brand of vehicles for quality and reliability.
He was optimistic the Ghanaian economy would continue to reap a lot of benefits in terms of investment through the friendly relationship that exists between the government of Ghana and Japan.
