Innoson Celebrates 13th Anniversary, Bags SON’s ISO, MANCAP Certificates

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) Company Limited has celebrated its 13th anniversary coinciding with recognitions from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

The Nnewi, Anambra State-based auto company also used the occasion, which held Tuesday, to give awards to some of its staff.

In his welcome address during the anniversary, chairman of Innoson Vehicles, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, said the 13th anniversary was a celebration of perfection and the accrued benefits with the award to Innoson Vehicle of the ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality Management System and MANCAP by the SON.

Chief Chukwuma gave the assurance that Innoson Vehicles will continue to employ international best practices in the production of its vehicles so that they can compare favourably in terms of durability, fuel economy and safety.

“As we mark this milestone in our journey of creating quality Nigerian-made vehicles. We have come a long way since our humble beginning in October 2010.

“Our vision was simple: to provide reliable, durable and affordable vehicles for Nigerians. And we have stayed true to that vision, with our commitment to Excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction,” he stated.

According to him, the two certificates from SON were a testament to the company’s dedication to upholding international standards of quality and excellence in all aspects of its operations.

“In our pursuit of perfection, we have upgraded our factory from manual Production to semi-automation and then to standard automation which has seen our production capacity rise from 10, 000 vehicles to 60, 000 vehicles per annum.

“We have bought robot painting equipment which when installed will reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and improve product quality leading to higher customer satisfaction.

“We have also introduced African Specifications in the production of vehicles by introducing the concept of regionalization in the production of vehicles by making sure that we consider the African environment, local tastes, and consumer preferences in the African region during the production of our vehicles,” he added.

Chief Chukwuma also expressed his gratitude to his staff, whom he described as passionate and hardworking.

“Their unwavering commitment to excellence is the driving force behind our success. To all relevant stakeholders such as the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Standards Organization of Nigeria, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Bank of Industry (BoI) , and the Financial Institutions, thank you for your support and encouragement,” he added.

While presenting the ISO 9001: 2015 and MANCAP certificates to IVM, Director General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said Innoson’s brand of vehicles met all international standards and, therefore, fit to be used in Nigeria and beyond.

Dr. Okeke, who was represented by Engr. Fred Akingbesote, said awarding the certificates to Innoson Vehicles showed that the company went through rigorous process of inspections and quality assurance in the last five years or even more and also demonstrated compliance to the relevant product standards and is providing products that meet consumer expectations and offer value for money among other benefits.

“With the award of MANCAP’s certificate to Innoson brand of vehicles, we are demonstrating how standardization and conformance to standard offer strategic opportunities for increased efficiency, set bench marks and help promote Made-In-Nigeria products to the international market, as this award will boost Innoson’s brand across borders. We are in effect saying that Innoson brand is fit to be used in Nigeria and beyond,” Okeke added.

Warning that the certificate will be withdrawn if the structures in place for certification break down and necessary corrective actions are not taken on observed non-conformance, Okeke added: “being one of the very few certified Indigenous Vehicle Manufacturing companies in Nigeria, you will agree with me that your biggest challenge in this endless journey to excellence, is to direct your efforts towards the delivery of consistent customer satisfaction.”

The DG called on other private and public organisations that are yet to embark on this journey to embrace this ISO management approach now for its benefits.