Automaker Urges Increased Investment In West African Industrialisation

Nigerian industrialist and founder of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) makers of Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwuma, has called on West African leaders to deepen investment in the region’s industrialisation drive in order to build self-reliance and reduce dependence on foreign vehicles.

Chukwuma made this call in his remarks during the opening ceremony of the First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament 2026 in Abuja on Monday, stressing that Africa has the potential and must produce what it needs for its industrial growth and development.

He told the regional parliamentarians that Innoson group has for the past 20 years since inception, invested into vehicle manufacturing that are “durable and affordable”, adding that the group has by so doing created jobs and enhanced an indigenous technology hub.

He commended the ECOWAS Parliament for the opportunity to address the regional legislature even as he pledged his commitment to Africa’s industrialisation by providing a public transport solution, stressing that with more investment in the sector, the region can actualise its dreams of promoting industrial capacity.

Speaker of the Parliament, Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, in her address described Innoson as a reputable investor that needs support for the transformation of the region.

She also highlighted the Parliament’s engagement in activities such as dialogue, mediation, and people‑centred advocacy, and emphasised that the institution serves as a platform through which the concerns of citizens across the Community are articulated.

The speaker underlined that, given current regional realities; the Parliament must continue to play its role as a forum for debate, consultation, and democratic legitimacy within the ECOWAS institutional framework.

In his reaction, the Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas, said political leadership must uphold accountability adding that regional cooperation must translate agreements into sustained action.

“Parliaments will be central to restoring public confidence in democracy across the sub-region,” he added.

The Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has said that the myriad of challenges facing West Africa must be confronted with clarity and courage, adding that the challenges demand a unified, strategic and sustained response.