Says Facility Can Transform Youth Skills, Employment, Automotive Innovation and Industrial Development in Ebonyi

The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), South-East, Prof. Ijeomah Linus Arodiogbu, has commended Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, for the commissioning of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) Automotive Training Centre in Abakaliki, describing the development as an important intervention in technical education, youth empowerment and the industrial transformation of the South-East.

Arodiogbu said the project represented more than the construction of another government facility, stressing that its greatest value would ultimately be measured by the number of young people trained, enterprises created, technologies developed and jobs generated through the automotive value chain.

According to him, Governor Nwifuru deserves commendation for supporting an intervention capable of connecting technical education with entrepreneurship, industrial production and employment creation.

“The commissioning of the NADDC Automotive Training Centre in Abakaliki is a significant development for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East. It demonstrates the enormous possibilities that can emerge when government infrastructure, technical education, human-capital development and private-sector opportunity are brought together.

“Governor Francis Nwifuru deserves commendation for recognising that the future of economic development is not only about physical infrastructure, but also about equipping our people with the knowledge, technical competence and entrepreneurial capacity required to utilise that infrastructure productively.”

Arodiogbu noted that the automotive industry is undergoing profound technological transformation, with electric vehicles, compressed natural gas, automotive electronics, computerised diagnostics, advanced mechatronics and other technologies changing the nature of vehicle production and maintenance.

The APC South-East leader said the location of the modern automotive training facility in Abakaliki will provide young people in Ebonyi and neighbouring states with access to practical technical education without having to leave the region in search of specialised training. He described this as particularly important given the size of the youth population and the growing demand for technicians capable of working with modern automotive systems.

The NADDC Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said the centre is equipped with modern training tools and is designed to provide practical, industry-relevant training for youths, technicians, artisans, students, vehicle owners, entrepreneurs and other automotive practitioners.

According to him, the centre is intended to serve as a hub for skills acquisition, technical innovation, entrepreneurship development, technology transfer and workforce preparation for the automotive, agricultural and industrial equipment sectors in Ebonyi and the wider South-East.

Arodiogbu said training in emerging automotive technologies could open opportunities in: Electric-vehicle maintenance and diagnostics; CNG conversion and servicing; Automotive electronics; Computerised vehicle diagnostics; Mechatronics; Vehicle maintenance and servicing; Auto-component fabrication; Welding and precision fabrication; Vehicle inspection and testing;

Automotive software and electronic systems; Spare-parts production and distribution; Vehicle body construction and repair; Agricultural machinery maintenance; Industrial equipment servicing; and Automotive entrepreneurship and technical consultancy.

“These are not merely mechanical skills,” Arodiogbu said. “They are part of the technology ecosystem of the modern economy.”

The APC National Vice Chairman, South-East, specifically commended Governor Nwifuru for supporting the establishment and commissioning of the facility in Ebonyi.

He said the governor’s willingness to work with federal institutions demonstrated the potential of federal-state collaboration when development projects are focused on concrete economic outcomes.

Arodiogbu also commended the Federal Government, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the NADDC for locating the training facility in Ebonyi and for incorporating emerging automotive technologies into its training vision.

He said the partnership should now be strengthened through continued investment in equipment, electricity, qualified instructors, certification, industry partnerships and entrepreneurship support.