Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC; headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Hartmut Schick), is pleased to announce that 50 units of the Canter have been delivered to Nigerian Breweries Plc. (headquarters: Lagos; Managing Director and CEO: Jordi Borrut Bel), the largest brewing company in Nigeria.
The Canters, which were delivered in mid June 2021, are of the FE84 model of the light-duty truck. The FE84 is a 4×2 with a GVW of 6.5 tons, and has a wheelbase of 3350 mm. The size of the trucks and their toughness makes them perfect for the distribution of Nigerian Breweries’ products through most urban and rural roads. The Canters are expected to travel between the Nigerian Breweries plant in Lagos and beverage wholesalers throughout the country. The Nigerian brewing industry has seen stable growth during the past decade, supported by a large and young population, and companies such as Nigerian Breweries have seen a need to boost their distribution capacities.
Most trucks sold in Nigeria, including the FE84, are assembled at a KD facility operated by CFAO Motors Nigeria Ltd. (headquarters: Lagos; Managing Director: Thomas Pelletier). Local assembly of the FUSO Canter began in 2017 with the FE84, and since then, the FE71 has also been added to the production portfolio. KD kits for these trucks are exported from MFTBC’s Kawasaki Plant in Japan. KD production is one of the cornerstones of the strategy for FUSO trucks in this growth region, with MFTBC partners having invested in local assembly facilities in other African countries such as Kenya and South Africa. Customer focus is another cornerstone of this strategy, and is addressed by the Regional Center teams based in the U.A.E., Kenya, and South Africa, who work directly with distributors and customers to optimize product offerings and provide aftersales support.
The durable Canter is a market-favorite in Nigeria and currently holds the top share within the light-duty segment. The popularity of the FUSO Canter is supported by the fact that MFTBC currently offers several varieties of the product to cater to various customer needs. To supplement the KD models, MFTBC also ships BU vehicles of the Canter FE71, FE84, and FE85. MFTBC also plans to expand the Nigerian KD lineup within the next several years, in collaboration with its business partners in the CFAO group. The CFAO group, of which CFAO Motors Nigeria is a part, has been working with the FUSO brand for nearly a decade. It has an established history in the African automotive industry, and has an extensive distribution network that covers passenger cars and two-wheelers in addition to commercial vehicles.
