OREANDA-NEWS. As part of its ambitious expansion in Africa, Ford Motor Company assembled the first Ford Ranger in Nigeria this week. The first Ranger to come off the assembly line was built in an existing facility with Ford’s Nigerian partners Coscharis.  Ford announced it would produce Ranger trucks in Nigeria in August.

“The facility will accommodate one shift and will produce an initial 10 units per day for the Nigerian market, creating approximately 180 direct and indirect jobs. Over time, this will gradually expand,” said Jeff Nemeth, President and CEO Ford Motor Company of Sub-Saharan Africa region.

“The main driver behind Ford in Africa is affordability. Africa is one of the youngest markets in the world and presents a huge opportunity in terms of consumption,” he added. “The buying power of the African consumer is on the rise as the continent’s middle class increases exponentially. Despite infrastructure challenges, Africa has demonstrated impressive returns on foreign direct investment.”