Almera joins Lagos security fight
In what could be described by industry follows as a display of corporate social responsibility as well as exploring future business opportunities, Nissan Motors South Africa in collaboration with Nigerian ally; Stallion Group last Monday donated a brand new Nissan Almera car to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund in support of concerted efforts in fighting crimes in Lagos State.
The donation which is Nissan’s first is an expression of the automaker’s corporate responsibility values of throwing support to relevant agencies and organisations in the country.
Managing Director, Stallion NMN Parvir Singh who made this remark at the presentation of the car in Lagos said: “Having followed the organisation’s achievements in recent years, the company in alliance with our principals, Nissan South Africa are pleased to extend our hands of fellowship to the society that has made our business operations more secure and attractive. And, this is largely due to the activities of the Security Trust Fund in curbing the menace of crime in Lagos State.”
He added that the occasion is without doubt another milestone in the company and Stallion is excited to be associated with Lagos State Security Trust Fund being an organisation that has excelled in devising potent strategies to mitigate security challenges in Lagos State.
Singh described Nissan as an internationally acclaimed brand with key representation worldwide and the automaker is currently the number two in Japan and the sixth largest automaker with over 5.4 million units sold worldwide in 2015.
In his remarks, Jimmy Dando, Director, Sales and Operations Nissan sub-Saharan Africa said: “Nigeria is Nissan’s most outstanding market in Africa growth strategy and “we will exploit the country’s strategic regional partners in the West Coast to make the country the automobile hub for evolving West African markets.”
He said Nigeria’s economy has the strong potential of becoming Africa’s wealthiest and these core values are Nissan’s attraction to the country
“We will in collaboration with Stallion transform Nigeria into a notable manufacturing and distribution hub that can provide comprehensive range of passenger, commercial and recreational vehicles and gradually transform Nissan into one of the largest automaker not only in Nigeria but in the West Africa sub-region,” the Nissan helmsman assured.
Receiving the vehicle on behalf of the beneficiary, Abdurrazaq Balogun, Executive Secretary/CEO, Lagos Security Trust Fund said the Lagos State government is excited over of Stallion and Nissan automaker’s move especially at this crucial period in the country’s economic history, and assured the organization wouldn’t leave any stone unturned in realising its objectives.
It would be recalled that in April 2013, Stallion group partnered with Nissan South Africa to form Stallion NMN, the sole manufacturer, importer and distributor of Nissan products in Nigeria. It later became the first indigenous motor assembly plant to roll-out locally assembled Nissan vehicles consequent upon the inauguration of the National Automotive Policy, assembling four Nissan models including Patrol, NP300, NV350 and Almera at the plant in Lagos.
MIKE OCHONMA