Japan Motors to start producing Nissan Navara in Ghana
Nissan partner, Japan Motors Trading Company has received approval to begin producing what Nissan calls the all new ‘Built More’ Nissan Navara at the company’s new assembly plant in Tema.
A press release copied to Ghana Business News Thursday March 24, 2022 says Japan Motors went through “rigorous Nissan manufacturing quality standards validation process in February 2022.”
The release says that Nissan will commemorate the opening and start of production on March 29, 2022.
Commenting, Nissan Africa managing director Mike Whitfield, says, “Nissan’s production standards are extremely high, so achieving formal approval to start production is an incredible feather in their cap and testament to the dedication of their entire team and the Nissan South Africa engineers who have been at their side throughout this process, first in Rosslyn and now in Tema.
“I can truly say that I am as excited about this news as I was when the first all new Navara rolled off the production line in Rosslyn in June last year, opening the way for the Navara to be finally built in Africa. I would like to congratulate the team at Japan Motors,” he said
According to the press release, the ‘Built of More’ Navara is one of the toughest vehicles ever produced by Nissan engineers. It was designed for Africa and built in Africa, it added.
Nissan selected Japan Motors, one of its two long time Ghanaian sales companies along with Nissan Auto Parts (APL), to be its manufacturing partner in 2020, the release said.
This followed Nissan becoming the first mover in Ghana by signing a memorandum of understanding with the government in 2018 to support the development of the domestic automotive sector, it added.
“The decision by Japan Motors to invest almost $9 million in this venture to create a 100 per cent wholly owned and staffed Ghanaian assembly plant was because we truly believe in the government’s vision to create an automotive industry in this country, that can build cars made in Ghana for Africa,” Japan Motors managing director, Salem Kalmoni said.
“We have built this factory to support this vision, to support our country, but also support ourselves as Ghanaians,” he added.
The release indicates that when production starts in Tema, it will be the culmination of an 18-month long process in establishing the state-of-the-art 5000 sq.m factory, which consists of four warehouses for the assembly and testing lines. The factory also has a special shower bay fed by an underground 180 cubic meter water tank and an outdoor test track with 12 noise and vibration testing bays to ensure every vehicle that leaves the plant is as good as any other Nissan Navara made anywhere else in the world. All of this, including a modern showroom and office block, is contained in a 22 407 sq.m site.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi