▁Ley land ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁Bus an . ▁Production ▁has ▁been ▁scale d ▁down ▁from ▁the ▁height s ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁Niger ian ▁Civil ▁War , ▁autom obile ▁production ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁assemb lage ▁of ▁partially ▁knock ed ▁down ▁bits . ▁Feder ated ▁Motor ▁Indust ries , ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁U AC ▁produced ▁Bed ford ▁T J tr uck s ▁and ▁S CO A ▁assemble d ▁Pe uge ot ▁ 4 0 4 ▁pick ▁up ▁tr uck s . ▁The ▁cab , ▁ch ass is , ▁ax les ▁and ▁whe els ▁were ▁imported ▁separately ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁total ▁landing ▁cost ▁of ▁import ation . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁hoping ▁to ▁promote ▁technology ▁transfer , ▁industrial ization ▁and ▁re ap ▁g ains ▁from ▁back ward ▁integration , ▁the ▁Niger ian ▁government ▁published ▁a ▁request ▁for ▁proposal ▁for ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁autom ot ive ▁assembly ▁plants . ▁About ▁ 2 0 ▁car ▁manufact ur ers ▁respond ed ▁but ▁ultimately ▁selection ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁demand ▁of ▁the ▁br ands ▁in ▁Niger ia . ▁To ▁set ▁up ▁passenger ▁vehicles ▁assembly ▁plants , ▁the ▁country ▁went ▁into ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁Pe uge ot ▁of ▁France ▁and ▁Volks wagen ▁AG ▁of ▁Germany , ▁the ▁government ▁also ▁had ▁in ▁mind ▁a ▁medium ▁term ▁out look ▁of ▁the ▁provision ▁of ▁technical ▁assistance ▁to ▁develop ▁local ▁content ▁inputs ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁that ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁the ▁locally ▁manufact ured ▁vehicles