Jos – The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigerian(SMEDAN), in collaboration with the National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), has begun the training of 30 Plateau youths on spare parts production.
SMEDAN Director General, Mr Umar Masari, who formally opened the training in Jos on Tuesday, said that the initiative was to boost the trainees’ capacity to produce the spare parts locally.
Masari, who was represented by Mr Anthony Igba, Deputy Director, Engineering Technology and Infrastructure, said that the training would create jobs and reduce unemployment rate in the country.
“We’ve realised that spare parts could be produced locally, but most of the spare parts we have are imported; sometimes when machinery have problems, it takes a long time for new spare parts to arrive.
“In the realisation of this, SMEDAN found the need for collaboration with the NMDC to build capacity for youths to have the capacity to produce spare parts.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“We expect their products to be used to feed the industries and the other SMEs that need their services,’’ he explained
The DG further said that trainees’ tutoring would focus on entrepreneurial skills to enable them develop the passion for the skills they had acquired.
According to him, SMEDAN would assist the graduates to access funds from the Bank of Industry.
Prof. Ibrahim Madugu, Director General, NMDC, in his remarks, said that the centre was grateful to SMEDAN for the collaboration toward the initiative.
“Castings are key to industries and very crucial to our quest for industrialization and economic diversification.
“The skills acquisition in basic technique for foundry production could not have come at a better time than now, considering the role of cast products in virtually all sectors of the nation’s economy.
“It is capable of reducing unemployment and can grow the manufacturing sector,’’ he stated. (NAN
