The global recession and the harsh business operating environment in the country notwithstanding, some business concerns and managers have continued to distinguish themselves, especially in the Nigerian automobile industry. And for these automobile firms and their managers, last week was time for recognition. Indeed, the setting inside the Banquet Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, had all the trappings of a great and eventful evening, as an elated crowd of auto enthusiasts and industry stakeholders watched the winners mount the stage one after the other to receive their awards from the special guests like Kunle Adedayo, chairman, Tasty Fried Chicken, Allan McNaughton, executive director, Mobil Oil, Smith Warren, executive director, StanbicIBTC and Aminu Jalal, director-general, National Automotive Council, at the fifth edition of The Nigeria Auto Awards, TNAA, organised by Beach House Ventures, publishers of OnWheels magazine, a specialised auto publication. Toyota Nigeria Limited, TNL, led the pack of awardees, carting away five awards in different categories, including the prestigious Car of the Year award, the Auto Brand of the year award and Truck of the Year (one ton category) award. It was also an impressive outing for a first-time entrant in the truck category as Mack Truck, trading under the franchise of Lanre Shittu Motors, won two awards, that is, the Truck of the Year award as the star prize and the Truck brand of the Year category. Kia Rio won in the category of the entry level car of the year. The Highest Selling Brand of the Year was won by Toyota while Hyundai Tucson won the Highest Selling Entry Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, under the franchise of Stallion

Motors. In the category of the three pointed star brand, Mercedes Benz won the Luxury Car of the Year and Land Rover HSE, under the franchisee of Coscharis Motors, took home the Luxury Brand of the Year. In the tyre category, G.T Radial emerged tops as Tyre of the Year and MRF tyre won in the Tyre Brand of the Year category while the Michelin tyre brand coasted home with the Truck Tyre of the Year. The event also presented an opportunity for the recognition of the contributions of the industry’s founding fathers like Molade Okoya-Thomas of CFAO Group, Michael Ade-Ojo of Elizade Motors and Cosmos Maduka of Coscharis Motors, were honoured at the fifth edition of the Nigeria Auto Awards. Two posthumous awards went to the founding chairmen of Leventis Motor, A. G. Leventis and J.B Mandilas. For the industry stakeholders, the annual TNAA has continued to raise the bar in the performance standard of practices in the sector. CK Thampy, managing director, TNL, who received the award on behalf of his company, expressed satisfaction and thanked its customers for their continued support and loyalty to the Toyota brand. For him, the award goes to further confirm the cutting edge technology and reliability of his products; features that have made the Toyota brand a household name in the country. It was not however only an award nite. The organisers also used the event to launch the OnWheels Foundation, a non-government organisation, NGO, that is dedicated to assisting the less privileged in the society, especially the Spinal Cord Injuries Association. “The donations to the association is part of our way of saying thank you to all those that have stood by us over the years and h

and have assisted in no small measure to the growth of the industry in Nigeria.� Jabez Aina-Scott, chairman and publisher, OnWheels said, promising that his organisation plans to assist with the provision of relief to the physically challenged through initiatives that will involve their preferences and desire. And if the word of Aina-Scot is anything to go by, the organisers of TNAA has also concluded arrangements to begin a model in which automobile journalists would be recognised for research work done with a cash price of N250,000 and a one-week all expenses paid European training to further enhance their understanding of the automobile industry. “This effort is to better improve the industry, which is a huge responsibility for those of you saddled with its reportage�, he concluded. Thampy: Satisfied Winners Aina-Scott: Provides relief materials for the physically challenged