Volkswagen automakers of Germany Saturday evening debunked social media reports that it has resumed assembly of some models of the brand after 20 years of absence from Nigeria.
In a telephone chat with BusinessDay reporter Saturday evening, Andile Dlamini, corporate communications manager of Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) the headquarters of the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) market of Volkswagen described the news as fake and without any iota of truth.
The VW South Africa spokesman told our reporter that those peddling the fake news must not forget that discussions are still on-going since last year between VW South Africa on behalf of the parent manufacturers in Germany and the Federal Government of Nigeria on how to perfect the details of how to resume assembly operations in the country.
Dlamini disclosed that previously the Stallion Automobile group was the authorised assembly of the VW brand in Nigeria, but that relationship ended few years ago as the automaker is yet to sign on with any local assembler. He did not give details on why the relationship ended.
The VW official stated that for the automaker to commence assembly of the brand in Nigeria, the federal government must not only give e legal backing to the automotive policy, but that the required volume must be guaranteed to justify the huge capital and equipment investments by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
He disclosed that the automaker is yet to choose any local company or group of companies as would-be preferred local assemblers of the brand in Nigeria.
According to Andile Dlamini, ”Hopefully both representatives of the Nigeria government and the Volkswagen group will be meeting in South Africa in August in another round of discussions that will ultimately culminate into tiding up loosed ends towards resumption of VW automobile assembly in the Nigeria. I can assure you that, at the end of the discussion, we shall take a decision on the next line of action taking into consideration so many variables and looking at events unfold”.
”When we are ready, it is not going to be a secret. We will make an official public announcement to that effect to herald the return of the VW model line-up in Nigeria”. Dlamini concluded.
