Toyota Nigeria Limited Ended 2024 Business Year on High, Emerged Auto Company of the Decade

Bennett  Oghifo

Toyota Nigeria Limited received the honour at the Nigeria Auto Journalists Awards held in Lagos on Wednesday December 11, 2024, bagging one of the biggest awards at last year’s event.

It was the first time any automobile firm in Nigeria would be receiving such major honour at the annual Awards, which entered its 13th edition this year.

This is the second landmark honour bestowed on the TNL at the close of the 2024 business year.

Just a few days earlier, the company was named as one of the top 50 brands in Nigeria, an annual assessment of top brands in the country.

TNL commenced operations in 1996 as a wholly indigenous and privately owned company, after it was appointed by Toyota Motor Corporation as its sole distributor in Nigeria.

The company, in partnership with its seven accredited dealers, has remained a forerunner in the marketing of Toyota products in the Nigerian automobile industry, providing exceptional services in auto sales, services, and distribution of genuine parts. 

The firm has over the years consistently won many NAJA awards and other top-rated laurels for its quality products and services in the automotive industry.

Apart from vehicle sale, the company says it has invested heavily in after-sale service delivery by constructing a global Standard Service Centre in Lagos, which also doubles as a Dojo Centre, (a Japanese word for a place of immersive or experiential learning) for specialised services to customers and on-the-job training for its dealers.

The firm recalled its efforts in building the brand, noting, “In its early days in Nigeria, the Toyota brand had to strive for acceptance, particularly in the face of stiff competition from the established brands at the time.

“The ingenuity and resourcefulness of the board of directors under the indefatigable chairmanship of Chief Michael Ade. Ojo OON, coupled with his vision, industry, and tireless commitment to the brand for over 50 years, paved the way for the acceptance and success of the Toyota brand in Nigeria.”

Reacting to the honours including being rated as one of the top 50 brands in Nigeria this year, Managing Director of TNL, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, said the company was excited and he attributed the success of the company to its loyal customers.

“I am quite elated and grateful to our esteemed customers as we celebrate a remarkable achievement – being recognised as the top automotive brand among the Most Popular and Top 50 brands in Nigeria (powered by Brand Nigeria).

“This could not have been achieved without the patronage and loyalty of our customers,”he said.

The Toyota (Nigeria) boss also said this was a recognition of the company’s latest huge investment in innovation and new technologies in the auto industry.

Apart from adequately stocking quality spare parts, it also has continued to raise topnotch workers in the face of challenging economy.

“As a matter of fact, our success would also not have been possible without the significant investments we have made vis-à-vis our well-stocked spare parts stores, latest technologies in the industry and most importantly, our people.

“Our team of dedicated professionals; from our skilled technicians to our committed staff members and accredited dealers, are the driving force behind our achievements.”

Road Safety 

Check Your Speed

I love appetizers. Even though I am not your regular eater, yet I am tripped by appetizers. I hear there are different types; cocktails are said to be some of the most popular appetizers. There are others, such as chips and dips, soup, salad, canape, hord D’oeuvres. Fruits and vegetables among others. The one that truly trips me at weddings, house warming or birthdays is the popular Nigerian puff puff.

It is deep fried and is soft, spongy, and fluffy according to the 2019 publication of K’S CUISINE.I love mine hot. If you want me to throw all decency on table etiquette, please try me with hot puff puff. Only then will you marvel at my cravings for puff puff as a typical Nigerian lad. As my appetizer, I served you the ‘hazardous habits to avoid’ when you zoom to 2025 by God’s tender mercies and Grace. Now to the specifics starting with high-risk behavior especially speed.

On November 17,2024, the World Day Remembrance for Road Traffic victims was commemorated. This was done in Nigeria and across the globe in line with the United National General Assembly adopted resolution 60/5 on improving Global Road Safety.It was a day to remember fatalities caused by irresponsible driving habits.

I know the Federal Road Safety Corps is still policing the roads to checkmate road crashes. Therefore, I am still waiting patiently for the Corps Marshal on the Corps scorecard for 2024 on the road traffic crashes recorded, deaths and injuries. Yearly, approximately around 1.19million deaths are recorded globally through road crashes. Between 20 and 50 million people are injured or disabled on the world’s roads.

The World Health Organisation(WHO)says in a verbatim report that 92percent of road traffic deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, even though these countries have around 60percent of the world’s vehicles. These deaths are highest in the WHO African Region and lowest in the European Region. Road crashes injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29years while two-thirds of these fatalities occur among ages 18-59years.

About 73percent of all traffic fatalities are males. Vulnerable road users -pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists account for a much greater proportion of road traffic collisions in low and middle-income countries than in high income countries.

As a response to this epidemic, the WHO report on Road Traffic injury prevention identifies a number of risk factors influencing crash involvement which among others are inappropriate and excessive speed, presence of alcohol, medicinal or recreational drugs, fatigue, travelling in darkness-what we might call night travel, defects in road designs, layout and maintenance, which can also lead to unsafe behavior by road users. Others include vehicle factors such as braking, handling and maintenance, having youth driving in the same car and poor eye sight of road users. The same report identifies non-use of seat belt and child restraints, inappropriate and excessive speed among other factors influencing crash severity.

This column is focusing on the effects of speed on crashes and crash severity and the need for Speed Limit Enforcement because WHO identifies speed enforcement, mandatory seat belt for adults, child seat belt or restraint, alcohol and drugs control as the three most vital road safety interventions that work. Secondly, one of my readers expressed concern over speed enforcement in buildup areas, having lost three close friends in a space of about a year.

Speed is at the core the traffic injury problem. It influences both crash risk and crash consequences. The physical payout of the road and its surrounding can both encourage and discourage speed. However, crash risk increases as speed increases especially at road junctions and while overtaking. A good number of road users are guilty of this even though we would rather blame the other driver for our errors.

For the speed freaks, please note these truths; that the higher the speed of a vehicle, the shorter the time a driver has to stop and avoid a crash. A car travelling at 50km/h will typically require 1.3metres in which to stop, while a car travelling at 40km/h will stop in less than 8.5metres. An average increased speed of1km/h is associated with a 3percent higher risk of a crash involving an injury.

Travelling at 5km/h above a road speed limit of 65km/h results in an increase in the relative risk of being involved in a casualty crash that is comparable with having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05g/dl. For car occupants in a crash with an impact speed of 80km/h, the likelihood of death is 20times what it would have been at an impact speed of 30km/h

It is because of the grave risk involved that countries the world over including Nigeria set and post speed limit, because controlling vehicle speed can prevent crashes from occurring and reduce the impact with which they occur, thus lessening the severity of injuries sustained by the victim. In Nigeria, the maximum speed on the express is 100km/h for private cars and 90km/h for taxis and buses while at built-up areas such as commercial and residential areas, the initial speed of 50km/h had now been reduced to 30km/h

However, a safe conscious driver is always counselled to adhere to common sense limits by adjusting his speed to suit the environment, his mental state, vehicle condition and level of expertise. A drive across most Nigerian roads would shock you, as even at build -up areas, the appropriate speed is not posted to guide motorists. Since human behaviors are dictated by the structures, it is important that apart from posting speed in relevant traffic regulations, our road signs must also reflect specific speed allowed. Countries like France and the Netherlands have employed this approach and seen it work especially in France where speed was used to reduce death by 20 per cent.