Ford’s Nigeria operations to begin in late 2015

Ford has announced it will begin assembly of its popular Ranger pickup truck at a plant in Ikeja, Nigeria, 750km (466 miles) southwest of the capital Abuja. Assembly will begin in the fourth quarter of 2015. This will make country the first African state outside of South Africa to produce Ford vehicles. The Ford Ranger was South Africa’s best-selling vehicle in the first half of 2015, following a 40% increase in sales in 2014. Now the company hopes to meet demand in what is the continent’s largest economy, whilst laying the foundations for further growth in the region.