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GAC Motor, China’s leading auto company, has successfully powered the maiden edition of the Nigeria Governors’ Investment Forum which held recently in Guangzhou, China thus opening a new chapter in the ongoing efforts of Chinese auto brands to fully launch into the global auto market.
The GAC Motor models, GA8 and GS8, which were designated as the official vehicles for the forum, greatly impressed the delegates with their luxurious and comfortable ride experience, original design, exquisite craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technologies.
The forum, which has the primary objective of fostering transnational investments between Nigeria and China, was attended by nine State governors from Nigeria.
They governors include Alhaji Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara State; Chief Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Chief Dr Samuel Ortom of Benue State. Other dignitaries at the forum include Mr. Oloko Shakirudeen Adewale, Consul-General of the Nigerian Consulate-General in Guangzhou; Mr. Cai Chaolin, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou; Mr. Zeng Qinghong, President of GAC Group, and Mr. Yu Jun, General Manager of GAC Motor. Other officials and representatives of the business community were also present at the China-Nigeria cooperation, trade and development forum.
Participants from the two countries conducted in-depth discussions and case sharing on the theme of the forum – Sustainable cities and livelihood .
Speaking at the forum, the Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr. Cai Chaolin, stated that Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa and Guangdong are highly complementary to each other in areas such as manufacturing, agriculture, cultural exchanges and infrastructure development being situated along the “Belt and Road” and there is vast potential for cooperation between the two countries.
“The Guangzhou Municipal Government has always attached great importance to all-round cooperation with Nigeria. We believe this forum will be a great opportunity for China and Nigeria to further their long-standing friendship, and construct a new bridge for investment activities between the two nations.
“With the GAC Group as a leading investment enterprise, we are speeding up the development of our overseas marketing and service system, and taking internationalisation as a key development strategy,” he said.
He expressed optimism that in the future, more and more high-quality Chinese enterprises such as GAC Group will bring better products and services to Nigeria, so as to further strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
President of GAC Group, Mr. Zeng Qinghong, who delivered a speech titled “GAC’s global planning with sustainable development as the basis and ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative as the driver” informed the delegates of the achievements and main business sectors of GAC Group, while emphasising GAC’s sincere willingness to offer high-quality products and services to Nigerian consumers.
“GAC Group’s private brand GAC Motor has developed stable sales channels in Nigeria and achieved outstanding sales records. GAC Motor’s entry into the local market has brought consumers greater ride experience and higher quality of life.
“With automobiles as a bridge, GAC Motor has not only benefitted Nigeria with high-quality products and services, but has also brought management expertise and technologies there, thus increasing employment and enabling resource integration, technological innovation and sustainable development,” he said.
With more than 380,000 GAC Motor vehicles sold last year alone, registering an increase of 96 percent and a compound annual growth rate of 85 percent for six consecutive years, there is no doubt that GAC Motor has achieved a consistent development.
In the first quarter of this year, the accumulated sales volume of GAC Motor vehicles exceeded 121,000, up by 68.4 percent year on year, making the brand a leading light among its peers in terms of growth speed and profit generation.
Among them, the sales volume of the champion model GS4 was up by 35.5 percent, firmly keeping the runner-up title in the domestic SUV market. It was also the first brand that surpassed the sales threshold of 500,000 units among SUVs in the price range of RMB 100,000. The advanced higher-end GS8 was highly sought-after, always in short supply.
Over 10,000 GS8 SUVs were sold alone in March, making a significant breakthrough of a monthly sales volume of over 10,000 vehicles only after half a year of its launch in the market. It was the best sales record among Chinese SUV brands in similar price range, and broke the price ceiling on Chinese brand vehicles, making the model a leader of high-end vehicles with increasing sales volumes.
At the forum, the Chinese officials and governors from Nigeria studied carefully GA8 and GS8 showcased at the venue. GS8, with its original design of a tough exterior and soft interior, luxurious and cozy inner facilities and rich high-tech equipment, was a particular eye-catcher. Nigerian delegates all expressed their hope to see the introduction of GS8 and more new-energy vehicles to Nigeria. Besides, they also wish to see more GAC Motor investment in Nigeria to drive current cooperation further.
GAC Motor said it will continue to provide consumers with more desirable products and services just as it assured that it will spare no efforts in building GAC Motor into the leading auto brand in China, and endeavour to be a world-class brand with the strongest brand value and influence deeply cherished by consumers.
With its high quality and product strength, GAC Motor has made initial breakthroughs in the overseas markets, with Nigeria being a leading one. At the same time, GAC Motor is actively planning its global strategic layout. Currently, preparation for the GAC North America R&D Centre is progressing as GAC Motor plans to enter into the North American market not later than 2019.
