Companies
Innoson moves into the big league with export of cars to Mali
Innoson moves into the big league with export of cars to Mali
In what is a major stamp of approval for its products, Innoson vehicle manufacturing this week signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mayor of Bamako, for the purchase of 400 Innoson vehicles. Preceding the MOU, was a visit to the factory by a Malian delegation which also included private sector operators from the country.
Implications for the company and industry
The sale of its cars in Mali opens a whole new frontier for the company. Innoson motors would earn foreign exchange from the transaction. If the Malians are impressed with the performance of the cars, they may decide to order for even more. Neighbouring countries around Mali, may also decide to purchase Innoson cars. Nigerians who may have been sitting on the fence in respect of buying Innoson cars, would also have a change of mind.
Increased production by the company could mean an expansion in its operations. This means workers would be employed and suppliers of parts Vehicle assembly plants in the country owned by Toyota Nigeria Limited and Hyundai could decide to look into exports.
Nigeria is not left out
Nigeria also stands to gain massively if the deal between Innoson and Mali pulls through. Other Nigerian products could also be exported. The government will also earn income from the exports made by Innoson. The move by Innoson is also proof that the government’s drive to expand the country’s export base seems to be working. The Minister of Agriculture few weeks ago, announced that Nigeria had started exporting yams to the United Kingdom.
Innoson vehicle manufacturing first started with manufacturing of motor cycles in the early 2002, before moving to the production. The company has manufactured over 10,000 vehicles and has a branch network in over 20 states in the country, and according to claims by the company is Africa’s largest indigenous vehicle manufacturer.
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Around the World
Air Peace to evacuate stranded Indians from Lagos to Kerala
A list of the passengers to be attended to has already been given and the flight shall depart Lagos on May 30, 2020, to Cochin Airport, Kerala.
The management of Air Peace Nigeria has been contacted by the Indian High Commission in Nigeria to undertake the evacuation of stranded Indian nationals to Kerala, India. This was disclosed by the airline via its Twitter handle.
The airline explained that a list of passengers that would be attended to have been released and it has started reaching out to the Indians on Saturday.
It stated, “A list of the passengers to be attended to has already been given to us and we have commenced reaching out to them. The flight shall depart Lagos on May 30, 2020, to Cochin Airport, Kerala.”
The flight is not free anyway. According to the airline, payments are expected immediately and they are Economy is $1.300 and Business class is tag $1,700. “You are equally allowed to pay in Naira at N460/$,” it added.
PUBLIC NOTICE (23-05-2020) pic.twitter.com/bn0xNxnRmO
— Air Peace (@flyairpeace) May 23, 2020
However, some Indians in Nigeria has reacted with mixed feelings to the development on Twitter. While some were ready to join the flight back home, others called for the refund of ticket fare booked a week ago.
READ ALSO: Hope rises as Emefiele set to meet MTN, 4 banks today.
For instance, Jayant Khamesra requested for the refund ticket fare of N568, 100, which he paid for a flight from Lagos to Delhi.
He said, “Please refund ticket fare P47812 LAGOS to DELHI. No show by Air Peace and it is been 1 week now, there has been no refund or confirmation of the same. Reference ALHN79 amount N568,100. I am sure a good world-class carrier like Air Peace won’t delay refunds purposely. Please act fast.
Pls refund ticket fare P47812 LAGOS to DELHI – NO SHOW by AirPeace and it’s been 1 week now —- there has been no refund or confirmation of the same. Reference ALHN79 Amount 568100 NGN. Am sure a good world class carrier like AIRPEACE won’t delay refunds purposely. Pls act fast
— Jayant Khamesra (@JKhamesra) May 23, 2020
Companies
Revenues of top African firms to drop by 10% amid COVID- PwC
In the meantime, CFOs are prioritising strategies aimed at protecting/keeping their customers and clients safe. They plan to make the best of the current situation by adopting various necessary strategies.
Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) of top African companies are expecting their companies’ revenue to decline significantly in 2020, no thanks to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to a new study that was released by PwC Africa earlier this week, a copy of which was emailed to Nairametrics.
The Details: Focus on the Revenue crisis
According to the report, which was titled PwC’s COVID-19 CFO Pulse Survey, the African CFOs, who were surveyed indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic will impact their business. About 89% of the respondents also believed that their companies’ revenues and profits would decline by 10% and 9%, respectively.
These findings are coming just about the same time business leaders across the continent and beyond are beginning to adjust to the new normal caused by the pandemic. At the moment, company executives (including the CFOs), would have to make some tough decisions that will determine how they emerge from this difficult economic time. A part of the report said:
“As they manage their process, business leaders — including the CFOs we’ve interviewed — will be faced with a series of decisions that will have a wide-reaching impact: on their own financial future; on the well-being of their employees, customers and other stakeholders; and on the wellbeing of the society at large.”
It should be recalled that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had earlier projected that economic activities in Sub-Saharan Africa would decline by 1.6% in 2020. For crude oil-dependent countries like Nigeria, the IMF projected that the economy would contract by an average of 2.8%.
READ MORE: Efficient Power: Addressing a Critical Element in Nigeria’s Agro-Industrial Revolution
Will things get back to normal?
According to the report, African CFOs who responded to the survey believed that their companies would eventually get back to normal. In precise terms, 38% of the respondents said their companies would bounce back within three months of the post-COVID-19 era. Unfortunately, nobody knows with certainty when the pandemic would end. This is because there is no cure/vaccine in the meantime, even as the virus continues to spread in parts of Africa.
In the meantime…
CFOs are helping their companies to adopt very strict cost containment strategies. At least, 85% of them said they are effecting cost containment strategies, even as 60% admitted that they are either deferring or completely canceling already planned investments. Others (49%) also noted that their companies are changing their financing plans.
Focus on CAPEX
The PwC report went further to note that the CFOs, who typically favour cost containment strategies, disclosed that their companies are focusing on slashing most of their costs on capital expenditure (82%). Similarly, they are also cutting costs by reducing their workforce (52%) and operations (36%).
READ ALSO: FG owes DisCos over N500 billion in electricity Subsidy – PwC
“CFOs clearly favour a strategy of cost containment and of the 33 African respondents who said their company is pursuing this course of action, the majority are focusing on facilities and general capital expenditure (82%) followed by investment in the workforce (52%) and operations (36%).”
In the meantime, CFOs said their companies are prioritising the following needs;
- CFOs are focused on meeting stakeholders’ needs
- Ensuring proper financial disclosures, especially bearing in mind that measures taken by companies to contain the pandemic have distorted economic activities, a situation that has implications for financial reporting
- Community focus and social engagement also remain top priorities for many African companies. Recall that many companies in Nigeria rallied (under the aegis of CACOVID) to donate billions to FG in order to facilitate the fight against the virus
- CFOs are also focusing on devising new supply chain options for their companies, bearing the disruptions that the pandemic had already caused in this regard
- CFOs are also prioritising strategies aimed at protecting/keeping their customers and clients safe
- Most importantly, they plan to make the best of the current situation by adopting various necessary strategies
READ ALSO: A New Wave: Where to Invest in H2 2020
You may download and read the full report by clicking here.
