Nora Promises Best Pricing in Automotive Sector, Endorse Funmi Ayinke Brand Ambassador

Bennett  Oghifo

A Nigerian automotive brand assembler, Nord Automobiles Limited, with its assembly plant in Epe, Lagos, has promised to remain competitive in pricing and offer the best price in the sector.

This is coming as the auto firm endorsed Funmi Ayinke, an Engineer, astute business woman and a social influencer, as its brand ambassador and presented her a Nord Tank Pickup.

The presentation of the Nord Tank Pick-up, which was preceded by the signing of a contract agreement, was executed in Lekki, Lagos recently between the new brand ambassador and the Nord team, led by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Oluwatobi Ajayi.

According to Ajayi, the purpose of using the vehicle was to ensure that it is always on the road. “So the aftersales of this vehicle is our headache basically, and I’d like to use this opportunity to state that we are going to start a service campaign which is key to the business that we do; and which is to satisfy our teeming customers.

“We know that we do excellent work, and we already have a technical team that is sound, but the issue is that we need to be a lot more popular. Because popularity is what drives sales in this industry, and more importantly, we have always had the capacity, 

“Presently, we have an assembly plant that can produce five vehicles per day and with more investments, we will be able to increase that volume to 25 vehicles a day and by the period we increase it to two shifts, production capacity can reach 50 vehicles per day. So the question is not capacity, but rather patronage of the locally assembled vehicles.”

Ajayi stated that the most important thing was the demand for these vehicles and once this is assured with increase in volume of units locally assembled, more Nigerians will be employed and this will by extension boost the economy.

“Financially, we have some of the biggest backings in our business ranging from financials to the shareholders, to everybody and as a result of this; we can actually meet the market demand. All that Nord as an automobile company needed is just somebody like her to take us out there to show Nigerians what they have been missing in terms of good product quality.

“At Nord, I think we have the widest after-sales network in Nigeria and we can parade ourselves as the greatest of all brands. Nord as customer-centric automobile companies with strong emphasis on strong aftersales service delivery have after-sales points in Lagos, Abuja, Ijebu ode, Abeokuta, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and in Abuja, the federal capital, we have two outlets, while four are located in Lagos,” he said.

Ajayi disclosed that before signing the deal with Funmi Ayinke, many people had come to Nord with proposals for brand ambassadorship. “For me, I was looking for someone at this level who will do this for us and for me and I wanted a business person and someone in the business world that would be able to truly influence people.

“So I feel that it is easier for her to influence people because she’s a business person and she works for it. It is not about the money. It’s about the experience. She has experience in sweating assets. She has many years of experience in making assets work and turning money into profit.”

Ajayi stated that all Nord models are strong, and  dutiful vehicles at the best price. “That has been our goal. In the past years, we had fantastic relationships with many corporate organisations, schools, the police, banks, real estate firms, among others. 

“What we are looking for is a partnership, somebody that understands business, who can influence businesses when they are making their buying decisions. We had difficulty finding such a person until fate brought us with Funmi Ayinke and since then, she has done amazing jobs for us. The business and partnership is going well.”

Discussing the kind of after-sales service back-up Nord would render to the brand ambassador while the contract lasted, Ajayi said “the vehicle comes with an after-sales plan for as long as the contract lasts and each party seems to be meeting expected obligations.”

Expressing her delight over her choice as brand ambassador and subsequent presentation of a Nord tank Pick-up, Funmi Ayinke said it is not just the crowd that matters, adding that this is the fundamental mistake Nigerian influencers make.

“But who are the crowd, who are the followers? I mean, which class do you belong to and I will say to them that FumiAyinke has the class that can afford Nord automobiles and I’m proud to be the brand ambassador,” she said.