Ghanaian President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has cut the ribbon on Nissan’s new Navara semi-knockdown assembly plant in Tema, outside Accra.

The $9-million facility is the culmination of a process that began in 2018 when Nissan signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the West African country to work towards creating the Ghana Automotive Development Policy.

Nissan selected Japan Motors, one of its two long-standing distributors in the country, as its licensed assembler in 2020.

Work on the 5 000 m² plant began shortly afterward, and 17 months later the facility was officially commissioned as the first Navara bakkies began rolling off the assembly line.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nissan Africa MD Mike Whitfield described it as an “incredible joyous and emotional experience”.

“Less than eight months ago, the Nissan plant in Rosslyn South Africa passed its final test to be given the green light to start manufacturing the all-new Nissan Navara. 

“Right at that time, a key group from [the Ghana] plant graduated in the same plant, having received extensive training on the assembly of these vehicles.

“Just over a month ago, this brand-new assembly plant passed its own final test – the very same one that the Rosslyn plant had to pass.

“I can tell you all, without any fear of contradiction, that this is the most modern, most state-of-the-art plant anywhere in West Africa.”

The plant, Whitfield said, was proof of “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 $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.

“Ghana today stands as a benchmark for the African automotive industry, an example of what can be done when there is a will and a vision.”

Japan Motors MD Salem Kalmoni, whose grandfather started what would become Japan Motors 100 years ago, said he hoped the Ghanaian government would now fully implement the Ghana Automotive Development Policy, after having identified vehicle assembly and automotive component manufacturing as a strategic anchor industry for its ten-point plan for Ghana’s industrial development.