Innoson Expands Into Global-Scale CNG, EV Production With New Mega Factory

Eastern Nigeria’s indigenous automotive giant Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) is poised to redefine Africa’s industrial landscape as it nears completion of a major compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicle (EV) factory, a development that could position the region as a leading hub for clean mobility and local manufacture on the continent.

Strategic Expansion: A Factory Set to Shake Global Rankings

Located within IVM’s core manufacturing complex in Nnewi, Anambra State, the new facility is designed to produce a range of CNG-powered trucks and EVs using state-of-the-art assembly technology.

Innoson executives say the plant will rank among the world’s largest CNG vehicle factories by production capacity once fully operational, with the ability to build up to 3,000 units annually across six vehicle categories.

Chief Executive and Executive Chairman Innocent Chukwuma emphasised that the facility represents a “quantum leap” for Nigeria’s automotive capacity, signalling deepening expertise in alternative-fuel vehicle technologies while building on IVM’s 13-year legacy of locally made buses, SUVs, and commercial trucks.

Completion of the facility, expected within the next few months, marks a pivotal move in Eastern Nigeria’s industrialisation drive and the broader African shift toward cleaner mobility solutions.

Employment and Youth Skills Development

Beyond production, the factory expansion carries a powerful socioeconomic mandate. IVM has announced plans to hire approximately 2,000 additional workers in 2026, a significant boost to industrial job creation in the automotive sector.

Coupled with these new roles is a youth-centred technical training programme aimed at equipping young people with hands-on skills in advanced vehicle assembly, CNG and EV systems, and future-ready manufacturing competencies.

Graduates of the scheme will either be absorbed into IVM’s workforce or receive recognised certification to pursue careers elsewhere in the sector.

“The goal is not just employment, but empowering youth with the skills needed for tomorrow’s automotive economy,” Innoson leadership noted, underlining how skills development is critical to reducing unemployment and strengthening national competitiveness.

Clean Vehicles, Local Manufacturing and National Ambition

IVM’s expansion dovetails with local ambitions under the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) and broader efforts to localise vehicle production while promoting cleaner energy alternatives, including CNG and EVs.

Nigeria’s automotive landscape, long dominated by imported vehicles, failed to utilize ingenuity in the region especially after the Biafra war, and the frustration of Eastern industrialists, prompting patronage of foreign products.

IVM increasing demand paints the picture that the market is now increasingly oriented toward locally manufactured and cleaner fuel vehicles, with private and public sector initiatives driving CNG conversion programmes and EV infrastructure development nationwide.

Industry analysts say Innoson’s growth mirrors a broader continental pivot toward sustainable transport amidst rising urbanisation and environmental concerns.

By expanding production capacity and skill development locally, Nigeria’s Eastern region could leverage its large labour force and growing energy resources to emerge as a continental manufacturing powerhouse in CNG and EV technology.

Broader Implications and Forward Momentum

As the plant nears completion, stakeholders across government, industry, and civil society are watching closely.

The facility not only promises job creation and economic diversification, but represents a strategic milestone in Africa’s quest for cleaner, locally produced vehicles capable of meeting both domestic needs and regional export demand.

If successful, Innoson’s new factory could signal a transformative chapter in Africa’s industrial narrative, one where local ingenuity, youth potential, and sustainable technology intersect to drive growth well into the next decade.

 

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