Nwifuru Hails FG’s Inauguration Of South-East’s First Automotive Training, CNG Conversion Centre
The Federal Government has inaugurated the first Automotive Training and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion Centre in the South-East geopolitical zone, with the facility located in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The centre, established by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), was commissioned on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh.
Speaking at the commissioning, Senator Enoh described the facility as a significant step towards addressing Nigeria’s skills gap, promoting technological innovation and repositioning the country’s automotive sector for greater competitiveness.
He noted that emerging technologies, including electric vehicles and advanced energy management systems, had made investment in modern technical training increasingly important.
The NADDC Director-General, Mr. Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said the centre was equipped with modern training facilities designed to provide practical, industry-relevant training for youths, artisans and automotive practitioners in Ebonyi State and across the South-East.
According to him, the facility would serve as a hub for skills acquisition, technology development, workforce training and innovation in the automotive sector.
Also speaking, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Builder Prince Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, described the project as a product of effective collaboration between the Federal and State Governments and a reflection of his administration’s People’s Charter of Needs.
Governor Nwifuru said his administration’s development agenda places emphasis on infrastructure, human capital development, technology and productive enterprise, adding that the facility would provide young people with opportunities to acquire skills that could translate into businesses and employment.
The governor, who joined the minister and NADDC leadership at the commissioning, said the centre represented more than physical infrastructure.
“For us in Ebonyi, this is more than a training centre. It is an audacious investment in the intellectual capital, technological dexterity and entrepreneurial acumen of our young people. Our vision is unequivocal: to build an Ebonyi where skills become businesses, businesses become industries, and industries engender sustainable employment and shared prosperity,” he stated.
Nwifuru also called on automobile manufacturers, investors and development partners to explore opportunities in Ebonyi State, while urging young people to take advantage of the training and technology available at the centre.
The Chairman of the NADDC Governing Board, Chief Emma Eneukwu, commended the Federal and Ebonyi State Governments for their collaboration, saying the project demonstrated a commitment to technological advancement and youth empowerment.
The inauguration marks a significant development in automotive skills training and CNG conversion in the South-East, while providing a platform for youths and practitioners in the region to acquire practical skills relevant to Nigeria’s evolving automotive industry.
Ebere Ania Adaolaedo
Special Assistant to the Governor on Media
