BY MIKE OCHONMA
As part of Autochek’s digitisation partnership with the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), the frontline online automobile marketing and auto finance company have industry now extended its activities to Nigeria’s most popular used car market known as the Berger Market”. The Berger automobile market, which houses over 10000 vehicles ranging from different brands and models known as the largest used car market in Nigeria, is situated in the heart of Apapa.
Through the Autochek app, prospective users can now view all cars sold in the Berger market, empowering them to make buying decisions from the convenience of their mobile phones and avoid all the major hassles of travelling to the depot.
For car buyers who face the incredibly daunting traffic of hundreds of trucks & tankers blocking entry to the Berger market, it marks a major breakthrough in terms of boosting accessibility to one of the most desired destinations for vehicle purchases in Africa.
Similar to every vehicle listed on the Autochek platform, all the cars from the Berger market listed on the app have undergone our usual 150-point check inspection process to remove all the ambiguities of purchasing a vehicle and equip our users with the information they need to make an informed decision. However, Autochek is well-aware a car purchase is still one of the most expensive outlays for most people in their lifetimes and as such, we also recommend in-person inspections before making such a large commitment.
According Dr Mayokun Fadeyibi, vice president, commercial for Autochek, ‘’The Berger partnership is not just about increased visibility for the cars in Berger Car Depot. It is more about empowering buyers across Nigeria through auto-financing with seamless and convenient access to these cars".
In his own reaction to the partnership, Don Meche, chairman of Berger auto market, ‘’Over the years, we have constantly experienced low sales due to the difficulty accessing our car lots. On the other hand, our partnership with Autochek has come as a relief for the Berger market dealers. Our customers can now access our cars with car loan and without stress. We are happy and our customers are also happy.
This is why, as part of the partnership with the Berger market, the team is delivering personal tours to the depot for customers who want to get up close and personal with their future vehicles and ensure everything is in order.
According to Adebiyi and one of the numerous Autochek customers while sharing his experience after recently taking part in a tour, "When my wife and I were looking for a very good Toyota Corolla to buy, I gave the staff at Autochek my specifications regarding the vehicle we wanted and they were wonderful in giving us options to select from".
"Eventually, we settled for a Toyota Corolla located at the Berger market and due to the difficulties in accessing the market and locating the vehicle, one of their staff, Yinka, took us there to inspect the vehicle and was very patient with both us and the dealer in finalising the purchase”.
With over 10,000 vehicles and approximately 30 dealer parks, the Berger market has been a key pillar in Nigeria’s automotive industry over the last three decades but with the rapid rise in commercial activities at the nearby Tin Can Island, it has experienced a severe decline in sales in recent years. Currently, there are hundreds of heavy-duty trucks and petrol tankers parked end to end on all major roads leading to and from the Apapa port, leaving access routes to the Berger market completely obstructed and forcing customers to find alternatives.
However, through partnership,Autochek and the Berger Auto dealers are looking to radically transform this, not only for car buyers, but also car dealers whose vehicles are now benefitting from a much-needed increase in visibility through our app, which recently passed the 10,000 downloads mark.
Whilst there is still a lot of uncertainty about the Berger market’s situation, we strongly believe that through the power of technology, this partnership could be a major catalyst for growth that not only impacts the livelihoods of the Berger market’s immediate stakeholders, but also advances wider job creation in one of Lagos’ key commercial hubs.
Both sources from Autochek and the Berger automobile market say they are extremely excited for the next chapter of this journey and look forward to hearing more great stories from our customers.