6 things Nigerians stand to gain from Ford's car assembly plant in Lagos

On the 11th of this month, Pulse Nigeria broke the news concerning Ford's plans to assemble the Ranger pickup in Lagos, Nigeria starting in the fourth quarter of 2015.

READ: Automaker set to build Ranger pickups in Nigeria

Next thing to come to mind was what we, as a nation, stand to gain from this.

Employment- Obviously, this was the first thing to pop up. Ford's assembly plant will create job opportunities/employment in Nigeria. Since the plant is in Nigeria, then it only makes sense that Nigerians will be recruited to work there. The plant is estimated to create about 180 jobs.

Cost of purchase of Ford Ranger reduced- Once reason why cars are expensive is because they are imported. So, assembling a car in Nigeria takes away talks of exchange rate, thereby making these cars cheaper and more affordable.

Better economy- This move by Ford will definitely strengthen Nigeria's economy and hopefully, the value of Naira.

Better suited Ford cars for Nigerian roads- Since these cars will be made in Nigeria, things like bad roads will be taken into consideration. Therefore, Nigerians will have stronger cars, made for Nigerian roads, that will last longer than imported cars.

Influx of foreign investors- Already, National Automotive Council (NAC) has reported that 36 world class automakers have shown keen interest in setting up plants in the country.

READ: NAC praises partnership between Coscharis and Ford Motors

Better engineers- Ford's assembly plant provides an opportunity for Nigerian engineers to get better hands on training, which will make them even better engineers. Something that Nigeria can benefit from. Also, Nigerians can do their internship there or even NYSC.