Dangote Group is set to purchase 10,000 Indonesian-made light pickup trucks. The trucks, which are described as the rural multipurpose mechanical tool, are expected to be marketed in Nigeria.
Putu Juli Ardika, the Indonesian Director of Maritime Industry, Transportation Equipment and Defense Equipment, the vehicles would be purchased by Aliko Dangote through his company, Dangote Group.
Why is Dangote interested in the trucks? Ardika explained that the trucks would be imported into Nigeria to serve as means of transportation to rural communities.
The trucks, according to him, would be used by farmers and everyone that operates in the country’s agricultural value chain, to transport water, cassava, and seed processors.
“Dangote’s team will check three units as a sample to be brought to Africa at the end of January. The trucks are set to be exported over five years, with 1,000 units to be exported this year and next year,” Putu said.
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What you should know: With a $100 million assembling plant in Ikeja, Lagos, it is clear that Dangote is committed to meet the expected demand for transportation in the country. While President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is channeling its energy on boosting agriculture which is a move believed to be the best means of diversifying the economy, Dangote Group is also positioning itself for profitability.
The trucks will enable farmers to move their items across the country with ease.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that the $100 million trucks and assembling plant are a collaborative effort between Dangote Group, and Sinotruck, the largest exporter of trucks in China. The plant has the capacity to assemble 16 trucks a day and will export to other West African countries.
