BY MIKE OCHONMA
Nigeria’s push towards the development of the automotive sector entered the next level following the commissioning of the National Automotive Design and Development Council’s (NADDC) Automotive Training Center (ATC) located on Kilometer 5, Ilawe road, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state.
The well equipped ATC which is among oher 20 such centres to be cited in various parts of the country aimed at enhancing job creation, skills acquisition, technology transfer amongst other benefits is in line with the recently approved policy on the automotive sector of the economy.
Before cutting the tape to declare the facility open, Niyi Adebayo, the minister of industries, trade and investment declared that, it has become imperative that infrastructures and human capacity building be emphasized to match up with the content of the policy to address challenges bedevilling the nation in the automotive sub-sector of the cconomy.
The policy which addresses amongst other things increase in local production of vehicles, 40 percent local content as well as attaining the 30 percent locally produced electric vehicles is also aimed at generating about one million jobs.
The minister noted that, it was in pursuit of set tragetted objectives that the federal government constructed 21 automotive training centers across the country to enhance national spread, justice, equity and fairness to all the geo-political zones of the country. This will also reduce social vices amongst our teeming unemployed youth.
Adebayo further disclosed that, the federal government plans to build more automotive training centers to provide job opportunities, enhance technology transfer, boost economic activities, enrich our country technologically as well as cushion the effect of joblessness, indolence amongst other societal ills.
Also speaking at the occasion, Jelani Aliyu, director-general, National Automotive Design and Development Council noted that, the official opening of the NADDC championed Automotive Training Centre marks another milestone at strengthening capacities in the history of auto sector in Nigeria to ensure poverty reduction and enhance skills acquisition.
The NADDC boss stated that, the council is statutorily charged with the responsibility of ensuring sustainable development of the automotive industry in using local human and material resources.
To achieve this mandate, the council has been promoting auto-engineering training, skills acquisition and capacity building in the auto industry in Nigeria.
In line with its mandate to promote skills development in the auto industry, Council constructed twenty-one (21) training centres that covers the six geo-political zones which include; Kogi, Bauchi, Enugu, Osun, Yobe, Gombe, Zamfara, Lagos, Jigawa, Akwa-Ibom, Plateau, Kano, Kastina, Kebbi, Ebonyi, Niger, Anambra, Abia, Ogun, Sokoto and Ekiti states.
“We are here today to commission NADDC Automotive Training Centre Ado-Ekiti which has received its training equipment/tools and has been installed. It is noteworthy to state that, the significance of this training centre is one of the success stories of the Buhari administration”.
The project will not only provide job opportunities for the youths in the areas of automotive repairs and maintenance, but enhance skills among graduates and undergraduates, but will also provide needed industrial infrastructure in Ekiti state.
It would be recalled that, the federal government recently approved the new National Automotive Industry Development Plan 2023 to aggressively build on the successes achieved so far in the Nigerian Automotive industry.
The new NAIDP would strategically provide outstandingly competitive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives that automotive industry manufacturers/producers, assemblers, investors, developers and all relevant stakeholders need.
While admitting that, the maintenance of vehicles is an essential factor for safety on our roads, Jelani Aliyu reiterated that, the combined efforts would lead to the realization of this goal following the commissioning of one among other training centre across the country.
