BY Onome Amuge,
Moto Business Service Nigeria (MBSN), a subsidiary of Japan’s Yamaha Motor Corporation, has announced a strategic partnership with Metro Africa Xpress Inc. (MAX), Africa’s largest low-to-zero emission vehicle platform, to finance and maintain over 50,000 vehicles in Nigeria over the next two years.
The partnership is expected to expand MAX’s operations in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon and accelerate its goal to serve 100,000 independent commercial drivers by the end of 2023.
The agreement was announced recently during a corporate meeting between Yamaha Motor Corporation’s leadership team and MAX team at the MAX office in Ibadan, Oyo State.
MBSN provides services for tech startup companies that focus on the shared mobility space in Africa. Its partnership with MAX will offer financing options to enable independent commercial drivers who are on MAX’s platform to access a range of vehicles for commercial use.
The deal will also provide the drivers with the opportunity to access two, three and four-wheeler vehicles, electric vehicles, as well as a suite of additional services, all through a single affordable subscription.
MBSN’s mission, as contained in the deal, is to increase the usage of vehicles on shared/rental platforms, create employment opportunities and contribute towards improving people’s quality of life across Africa, with a keen focus on maintaining a cleaner and greener environment in the country.
Commenting on the partnership, Adetayo Bamiduro, co-founder and chief executive officer at MAX, said the company, renowned as Africa’s first mobility technology platform, is extremely thrilled to partner with MBSN and the Yamaha Motor Corporation.
Bamiduro noted that the agreement demonstrates the shared commitments of the companies towards democratising access to vehicle subscriptions, and enabling entrepreneurs across Africa to unleash development by moving people and goods safely and reliably from “point A to point B”.
He also expressed confidence that the collaboration will enable MAX to significantly accelerate its goal of serving 100,000 independent commercial drivers across Africa by the end of 2023.
On his part, Shoji Shiraishi, fellow at Yamaha Global, said the Japanese organisation is extremely excited to officially launch MBSN in Africa by commencing its operations with MAX. He assured that the company will onboard vehicles across multiple cities and generate employment avenues for the youth of the African subcontinent.
Shiraishi also disclosed that the company plans to work with more mobility companies in the future and to transform the overall shared mobility space in Nigeria and Africa, by bringing financial and strategic experience from its stakeholders.
MAX, founded in 2015 by Adetayo Bamiduro and Chinedu Azodoh, is aimed at disrupting Africa’s transportation sector via smart technologies. Its core product consists of a subscription service that enables independent commercial drivers to access a low-to-zero emission vehicle, as well as an array of value-added services, including vehicle and health insurance, licensing support and service plans.
