Chukwudi Iwuchukwu wrote:




Nigeria's IGP of Police Convoy uses Made-in-Nigeria Nord vehicles.


This is a win for Nigerian-made products.


Now this is where it gets interesting


Nord Motors is a car manufacturing plant based in Lagos, Nigeria, and it was founded by 32-year old Ajayi Oluwatobi (attached in this post)


Nord cars are manufactured at the company's assembly plant in Epe, Lagos.


Tobi imports some knocked out parts known as CKD  and then assembles them here at his factory at Epe, exactly what Innoson is doing in Nnewi.


He manufactures some components of his car at his Epe factory.


I remember vividly the day I went to his office at Lekki.


I did not know he was the owner.


He was so young to own such a multi-billion naira investment that I asked him, "Where is your boss?" I want to see him.


I did not know he was the boss, who was 31 years old at that time.


He laughed and told me he was the boss.


Folks don't believe he is the owner because of his age , so he is not upset about my skepticism.


He started Nord Motors and the assembly plant at 28 years old, and, looking back, I think he has done well.


He used to be a salesman for Mercedes-Benz Nigeria, which he joined  as a youth corper, he was retained after Service  where he rose to be the sales manager of Mercedes-Benz Nigeria before he resigned to start his car own assembly plant known as Nord motors today.


He wants to be the Innoson or Dr Sam Maduka Onyishi of my generation, and this dream is very personal to him.


Despite the Nigerian government's flip-flop and inconsistency policy on the auto industry, Tobi is still pushing the envelope, pushing for new frontiers.


Tobi is an inspiration, and he carries the aspiration of a whole generation on his young shoulders, shining the light and showing us what is possible.


It is brave to do what he is doing, as he is doing business in an industry filled with sharks and land mines, and with his story, he is creating jobs and adding value to society, as he is reminding us again and again that my enterprising generation is striking gold here, in spite of Nigeria and not because of it.