Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (IVM) is Nigeria's first indigenous automobile manufacturer, founded in February 2007 by Chief Dr Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma CON OFR (born 1 October 1961 in Uru-Umudim, Nnewi, Anambra State). The company is headquartered in Nnewi, Anambra State - Nigeria's hub for indigenous manufacturing - and is nicknamed "Pride of African Roads". IVM's vehicle assembly plant was officially commissioned in October 2010 by then-President Goodluck Jonathan with an initial production capacity of 10,000 vehicles per annum, which has since been expanded to over 60,000 vehicles per year by 2023. IVM manufactures SUVs, buses, mini and midi buses, pickup trucks, sedans, and security vehicles for commercial, government, and military customers, including supplying the Nigerian Army, Police, and Anambra State Government. The company is part of the broader Innoson Group which Chief Chukwuma founded in 1982, starting with motorcycle spare-parts trading, then motorcycle assembly (1987, the Jingcheng brand), then plastic manufacturing (Innoson Technical & Industries, 2002, the biggest plastic manufacturing plant in Nigeria with 150+ product lines), before launching IVM in 2007. Chief Chukwuma was conferred the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in October 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari. Innoson is the only Nigerian automobile manufacturer listed on Wikipedia's notable automobile manufacturers of Africa.