Jonathan to unveil made-in-Nigeria tricycles Wednesday

• Tricycles will be easier, cheaper for Nigeria’s small businesses to move goods, people – Robert, Zeetin Technologies chairman

From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, will, on Wednesday, October 21, unveil locally assembled tricycles manufactured by Zeetin Technologies in Abuja, in a move aimed at providing affordable transportation for traders, farmers, artisans and small businesses across the country.

The tricycles, designated VZ150 and VZ200, are being assembled at the company’s manufacturing facility in the Idu Industrial Area of the Federal Capital Territory, in technical partnership with VIAR Motor Indonesia, a company with more than 30 years of experience in three-wheeler engineering.

Chairman of Zeetin Technologies and Kakatar Group Limited, Azibaola Robert, who disclosed this ahead of the unveiling, said the initiative was designed to reduce transportation costs, strengthen local manufacturing and create economic opportunities for Nigerians.

Robert explained that the company was particularly interested in meeting the transportation needs of small businesses, which depend heavily on affordable vehicles for moving goods and passengers.

“We are producing tricycles here in Nigeria to make it easier and cheaper for Nigeria’s small businesses to move goods and people,” he said.

According to him, the tricycles are intended to serve a broad range of users, including market traders transporting merchandise, farmers moving produce to urban markets, artisans delivering materials and distributors engaged in last-mile deliveries.

“The tricycle is the working vehicle of the market trader, the farmer bringing produce to town, the artisan, the distributor’s last mile and the commuter corridor.”

Robert maintained that the economic benefits of the initiative would extend beyond the production of vehicles to employment generation, technology transfer, skills development and the expansion of supporting businesses.

He disclosed that Nigerian technicians had undergone training at VIAR’s manufacturing facility in Semarang, Indonesia, and were now applying the acquired skills at the Abuja assembly plant.

“The economic case is a local one. Every unit built at our factory carries Nigerian labour and Nigerian value: technicians trained at VIAR’s works in Semarang and now working in Abuja; quality, planning, sales and after-sales staff and, around them, a growing network of dealers, service workshops and parts traders,” he said.

The Zeetin chairman explained that the company’s long-term strategy included increasing local content through the production and sourcing of components within Nigeria, thereby creating additional opportunities for indigenous manufacturers and suppliers.

He also disclosed plans to introduce compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric-powered tricycles as part of efforts to expand the product range and provide alternative energy options for commercial transport operators.

According to him, the first units produced at the Abuja facility would be handed over to their owners during Wednesday’s unveiling, marking the commencement of the company’s entry into the domestic tricycle market.

Robert said the initiative represented an opportunity to develop Abuja into a manufacturing centre serving the transportation needs of communities across northern Nigeria and other parts of the country.

“This is a story of Abuja and of the North: a new manufacturing plant in the capital’s industrial district, built to serve the traders, farmers and commuters of the region and beyond.”

He explained that the name Zeetin meant “for you,” reflecting the company’s commitment to developing products intended to support the economic activities and livelihoods of customers.

Robert also invited journalists to visit the assembly facility during the unveiling to observe the production process and interact with the company’s technical and management teams.

The launch is expected to provide an opportunity to showcase the VZ150 and VZ200 models, the company’s assembly operations and its plans for expanding local production.

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