Sierra Leone imports $4.7m worth of Innoson Vehicles 

The first batch of Innoson vehicles Manufacturing Ltd.(IVM) manufactured for the government of Sierra Leone has been delivered to the West African country by the Nnewi-based indigenous automaker. 

The vehicles arrived in Freetown on November 21st, 2022, were built to fit the order made by Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Defence making them the first country in Africa whose Defense ministry is using the IVM brand outside Nigeria. 

 Innoson Group has penetrated the vehicle market over the years. It is currently serving as one of the few wholly African car assemblers. 

The defence department had requested for the made-in-Nigeria vehicles during a working visit to Innoson Vehicles by the top hierarchy of the Sierra Leone Defence Ministry led by Mr. Edward Soloku, the Minister of Internal Affairs, as well as the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation, SLRTC, led by its President, Mr. Isaac Ken-Green.

Head of Corporate Communications for Innoson Group, Cornel Osigwe, revealed in a statement that various models of vehicles bought within that dispensation were ordered for the present administration. 

Osigwe then went on to explain that subsequently, the government of Sierra Leone, led by President Julius Maada Bio, placed an order for the manufacturing of Innoson vehicles valued at the amount of  $4.7 million for the officers of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, RSLAF. 

The first set of vehicles supplied from Nigeria to Sierra Leone left on Monday from Queen Elizabeth 2 Port (Sierra Leone’s seaport, “Water Quay”) in Free Town for distribution to military officers across the country.

Sierra Leonians commended their president, Julius Maada Bio, for acting in line with the spirit of the continental agreement by opting for an African, IVM, brand of vehicles for the use of the country’s armed forces instead of importing for other western countries. 

Four years ago, the Nigerian Army signed a partnership agreement with the Nnewi auto plant for the supply of purpose-built vehicles for its personnel. 

The agreement also includes identifying requirements for the production of the armoured fighting vehicle in the Nigerian Army Central Workshop in Kaduna and enhancing the capacity of Nigerian Army personnel to actively participate in the successful implementation of these joint ventures  The export of Innoson is coming two years after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) agreement in July, 2019.