From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

The Federal Government has inaugurated the first automobile training centre in the South East.

Inaugurating the centre in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital at the weekend, Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, said the establishment of the automobile training centre was a demonstration of the commitment of the Federal Government to translating the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola  Tinubu  to the world.

This, he said, is about intangible opportunities for the  people, particularly the young South East indigenes.

Enoh stated that the Tinubu administration places high premium on skills and manpower developments.

“Let’s look at the fact that this building is intended to achieve the training in terms of the auto industry and auto sector, the training of the relevant skills. Beyond the auto industry that we are commonly talking about, and familiar with, there are new technologies that are emerging, either in terms of electric vehicles, in terms of, you know, vehicles that energy management is better.

“You know, so it is important that as we push for the development and advancement in the auto sector, we also similarly encourage and push for the training of our youths that are going to be fully engaged in all these sectors.

“I’m happy that in the South East zone , the first centre to be commissioned is a centre in Ebonyi State. Let me thank the cooperation that this event has received and this facility has received from the government and people of  Ebonyi  State”, he stated.

The Minister expressed the hope that the centre would  live up to the objectives and assured that the Federal Government would provide all the necessary support for the centre to succeed.

He declared that the facility, with state-of-the-art training equipment, tools, and facilities, would provide practical and industry-relevant training opportunities for the youth, technicians, artisans, students, vehicle owners, entrepreneurs, and other practitioners within Ebonyi State and South East region.

In his remarks, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Automobile Design and Development Council(NADDC), Oluwemimo Osanipin said the establishment of the automobile training centre was in line with the vision of President Tinubu  in the area of human capital development, job creation, industrialization, economic diversification, and empowering Nigeria to become productive participants in national economy.

He explained that the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) provides an important strategic framework for the development of a competitive and sustainable Nigeria-India Automotive Industry.

According to him, the  plan seeks to promote local vehicle production and assembly, attract investment, strengthen  local content, develop a general technical capacity, create employment and deepen the automotive value chain.

“And in support of this, this council we have started reviewing our apps and want to incorporate the global trend into this new app in order to support all the applications. The NADDC Automotive Training Centre in Ebonyi State is, therefore, a practical manifestation of this policy direction.

“The centre will serve not only as a training facility, but as a platform for technical excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, vehicle maintenance and repair, technology transfer and industry collaboration”. Osanipin said.

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, commended NADDC for identifying the state  as a strategic location for the  Automotive Training Centre, describing it as an investment in the future.

“It is a deliberate investment in the hands that will repair our vehicles, the minds that will diagnose sophisticated automotive systems, the engineers who will design solutions, and the entrepreneurs who will establish businesses and create employment,” he said.

He averred that the establishment of the centre  was  consistent with the broader industrialisation vision of his  administration.

“As you are all aware, under the People’s Charter of Needs Agenda, we recognise that the sustainable development of Ebonyi State must rest on a strong foundation of infrastructure, human capital, technology and productive enterprise. We are, therefore, deliberately creating an environment in which industries can thrive and our people can acquire the skills required to participate in those industries”, he said .

The governor encouraged the youths to take advantage of the automobile training centre and acquire technical skills.

“Do not look at technical education as an alternative for those who cannot pursue conventional academic education. Technical knowledge is not inferior knowledge. I say this because a properly trained automobile technician can become an entrepreneur.

“A skilled automotive engineer can become an employer of labour, and can establish a modern automotive service centre, trained fabricator can create components and equipment.

“Above all, the young innovator with knowledge of automotive electronics can develop solutions for an increasingly digital transportation system.This is how we create an economy driven by production rather than consumption, transform skills into businesses, transform businesses into industries and transform industries into sustainable sources of employment and prosperity,” Nwifuru said.

He urged  investors who are prepared to establish industries, transfer technology, develop local capacity, create employment and contribute to the productive transformation of the  economy to invest in the state.

“I am confident in the capacity of our youths. Our young population represents a significant reservoir of talent and energy. What they need are opportunities, training, mentorship, technology and access to productive enterprise.

“The government, expectedly, will continue to provide the enabling environment within its capacity. We particularly encourage investors in automotive services, component manufacturing, fabrication, vehicle maintenance, diagnostics, electric mobility, technical education and related industries to explore the opportunities available in our State.”

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