High powered delegation from the British government has paid a working visit to Japan Motors’ ultra-modern Nissan Vehicle Assembly plant.
The delegation included Britain’s Minister of International Development, Andrew Mitchell, accompanied by UK’s Trade Envoy to Ghana, Baroness Kate Hoey, as well as the British High Commissioner in Accra, Harriet Thompson.
It also had a team from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the representative of Jobs for Economic Transformation Programme (JET) Ghana.
The visit last Friday was to afford the delegation the opportunity to see first-hand the critical role that Nissan was playing in domestic automotive assembly, and to find out more about the Ghana Automotive Development Policy.
Japan Motors’ brand new Nissan Assembly plant in Tema, Ghana, has become West Africa’s most visited automotive factory in the last nine months.
“It’s a great honour to have this strong delegation visit our plant,” Japan Motors assistant managing director, Mohammed R. Byrouthy, who was responsible for managing the plant construction project, said.
He said, “We have had visitors almost every single week since we opened, and I think it is a testimony of what Nissan and Japan Motors have achieved here”.
Nissan Africa managing director, Mike Whitfield, said, “One of the highlights of 2022 was the commissioning of this factory in Ghana, and it is wonderful to see the excitement and interest that the Plant has continued to generate”.
The Plant, he said, was proof of what could be achieved when both parties were absolutely focused on the end result and testament to the fantastic public private partnership between the government of Ghana, Japan Motors and Nissan Africa.
“The existence of this plant is tribute to the passion and commitment of Japan Motors investing US$ 9-million, which in itself would not have been possible without the security and certainty offered by the government of Ghana’s progressive automotive industry development policy which was signed into law in record time,” he said.
“When you buy a Nissan Navara from Japan Motors, you are buying more than a phenomenal vehicle, you’re buying peace of mind in every regard, and that’s priceless,” Harriet Esi Mensah, Marketing Manager, Japan Motors, said.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
