Following the delivery of the first batch of vehicles manufactured by the Nigerian based automobile company, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Ltd to the Sierra Leonean  government, plans have been concluded to build a factory in the country.

The concluded plans with the Sierra Leone government to establish an assembly plant in Freetown was made known to the public on the company’s website.

The first set of IVM army vehicles was delivered to the Sierra Leonean Ministry of Defence on 21st November, 2022 which cost $4.7 million USD.

The shipment was organized by the Ministry of Defence, led by Mr. Edward Soloku, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) in 2019.

Sierra Leone has become the first country in West Africa to use the IVM products in its armed forces outside Nigeria and each SUVs costs between $29,137 to $62,774 USD. 

According to Cornel Osigwe, the Head of Corporate Communications for Innoson Group said the company also produces motorcycles, cars, SUVs, tricycles, buses and pick-up trucks.

He said the “development is a step towards the acceleration of intra-African trade as facilitated by the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA”.