Kaduna -The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has trained 5,046 mechanics on modern vehicle repair from 2012 to date, the council’s Director General, Mr. Aminu Jalal has said.
Jalal stated this on Wednesday in Kaduna, at a 13-day training of quality assurance assessors, organised by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in collaboration with NADDC.
Jilal explained that skill gap survey of automotive mechanics in the country revealed lack of technical know-how on modern vehicle technology, particularly mechatronics systems.
He disclosed that one of the mandates of the council was to ensure the sustainable development of the automotive industry in Nigeria using local human and material resources.
He said that to achieve this mandate, the council has been promoting automotive engineering training, skills acquisition and capacity building in the country’s automotive industry.
“So far 5,046 mechanics across the country have been train on how to effectively repair modern vehicles particularly those with mechatronics systems.
“Out of the figure 1, 500 motorcycles and tricycles mechanics were trained in collaboration with SIMBA group and 2,006 under the SURE-P progarmme.
“Also in collaboration with the National Road Transport Owners (NARTO), we have trained 500 mechanics in heavy duty commercial vehicles repair and another 540 mechanics in tyre repair.
Jilal added that the council had also developed a new curriculum and training manuals and have been incorporated into the national vocational qualification framework by the NBTE.
“We have also developed a syllabus for the teaching of automotive engineering in Nigerian universities and is currently being used by the University of Ibadan, Elizade University and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi.
“University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria will soon follow suit.
According to him, the effort was to remedy the deficiency of manpower in the automotive industry.
Jalil was represented at the occasion by councils Director of Industrial Infrastructure Department, Mr Abdulwaheed Odetoro.
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Earlier, the Executive Secretary, NBTE, Dr. Masa’udu Kazaure, explained that technicians, artisans and craft men all over the country are being trained but without due certification in line with international best practices.
He explained that the essence of the quality assurance assessors training was to equip experts with the efficiency to validate the effectiveness of the trainees before certified as competent artisans, technicians or craft men.
“The trainees will have to be assessed by experts to determine and ascertain that what is expected to be imparted as skills and practical knowledge have been duly imparted”.
He said that 26 experts are undergoing the training as quality assurance assessors and verifiers.
He commended NADDC for the initiative and for facilitating the training, stressing that the effort will go a long way in transforming the skill acquisition intervention needed to move the country forward. (NAN)
