By Alex C
The tidal waves of Nigeria’s one-year-old auto policy are spreading very fast all over the country with a stop-over at the gate of the 50-year old Boulos Nigeria Enterprises Limited.
Having commenced business of importation of Suzuki brand of motorcycles and outboard motors engine, purolite brand of fuel filters and spare parts from Japan, and later establishing the first motorcycle assembly plant in the country in 1969 and assembly plant for outboard motors in 1978, Boulos is on the march again. This time around, it is moving into the manufacture of a modest one-ton four wheelers that will cater for the needs of multiple business applications.
To this end, BEL will soon start the assembly of Piaggio Porter 4 wheeler compact truck 1.5 ton which the company is optimistic would provide the needed solution to fleet operators engaged in logistics and delivers services to SMEs and other conglomerates and at the same time providing job opportunities to the Nigerians.
Boulos is the only tricycle company in Nigeria with well established assembly plant and gaseous emission equipment machinery for tricycle when compared to competition. The firm boasts of the state-of-the-art assembly plant equipped with all the trappings of a modern four-wheel assembly tools and machinery, in Ogba, Lagos
Julian Hardy, the general manager revealed that said there is a memorandum of intent from Piaggio in Italy with Boulos Enterprises Limited for the establishment of SKD assembly.
According to him, “We have a full contract coming from them as well which was at the initial stage and we have been to Italy twice to have a meeting with them so as to fine tune the agreement for setting up the SKD plant phase two which is the basics. We will start with that. There is a feasibility going on in Italy at the moment that will fast-track the entire bilateral agreement and set the ball rolling and from there we would then move on to full SKD.
Boulos said it will move to the next phase which will see the company bring in automotive paint cabins so that it can carry out paint works to the customers’ preferred colours on site here within the factory. It will take care of full assembly that include fixing the engine blocks, suspension systems, wheels and cab interior and all of them will be assembled in Nigeria.
BEL will start the SKD by the first quarter of next year, and move onto the second wave of the SKD which will be in another 12 months. It anticipates full CKD in another two years with close monitoring of its assembly processes and market dynamics.