Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) of Nigeria and the government of Sierra Leone have reached an agreement to construct a plant there.
The business claims on its website that agreements have been reached with the government of Sierra Leone about the establishment of an assembly factory in Freetown.
On November 21, 2022, Innoson delivered the first batch of military vehicles it had produced for the Ministry of Defense in Sierra Leone. The Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Edward Soloku, and the Ministry of Defence coordinated the $4.7 million cargo in 2019.
Online sources state that the government would soon have the vehicles "ready for delivery to military officers around the country." According to the IVM website, SUVs range in price from $29,137 to $62,774 USD. The IVM products are currently being used by the military forces of Sierra Leone, the first nation in West Africa outside of Nigeria.
According to Cornel Osigwe, Head of Corporate Communications at Innoson Group, the Nigerian manufacturer also makes motorcycles, cars, SUVs, kekes, buses, and pick-up trucks.
As a result of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA), he continued, "This development is a step towards the acceleration of intra-African trade."