FG Scraps Nigeria’s 5 decades Automotive Curriculum

The Federal Government has scrapped the country’s Automotive curriculum which dates from the 1960s and replaced it with a new framework to help the growth of  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.

Speaking at the official Launch and Public presentation of the National Occupational Standards for the Training and Certification of Automobile Technicians in Nigeria of Thursday in Abuja, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, said the new framework would help the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the country.

The Minister said the framework was one that has the capacity to create jobs for Nigerian youths.

“The framework is something that will create a platform for our MSMEs to develop in capacity.

“Skills are one thing, we do not have adequate capacity and this is will provide best skills of international standards to Nigerians,’’ Aisha stated.

Delivering the key note Address at the event, Director General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NDDC),Jelani Aliyu affirmed that the National Occupational Starderd (NOS) levels I-V which was recently develop will ensure the survive, growth and integrated development of the Nigerian automotive industry using local human and material resources.

He stated that, “the Council in the time past conducted a skill gap analysis of auto technical. Nationwide and saw the need to develop a modular curriculum and this is done in collaboration with NBTE, NABTEB and GIZ to train auto technicians in Nigeria.”

“This curriculum has now been integrated into the NOS (levels I-III). The NOS which is in line with the National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF) has been approved by the National. Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for training and certification in the auto industry” said the DG.

Aliyu lamented that, “the training of our mechanics In Nigeria has not kept pace with developments in the automotive industry as the curriculum used for the Federal Trade Test for automotive mechanics dates from 1960.”

He said during the period of research for the development of the new curriculum, it was discovered that “80 percent of the skill deficiencies of the Nigerian auto technicians hinges mainly on the electrical/electronic system of vehicles. 20 percent are of incorrect work methods, safety and environment as well as poor workshop management and organisation.”

The DG concluded that the establishment of the SSC for mechanics curriculum which also has 55 standards will complete the teaching of auto mechanics up to level of the NvQF. “The development of the corresponding curriculum and the training of assessors and verifiers would enable the teaching of our mechanics to new levels of quality, efficiency, effectiveness transparency, and enable access and progression from one level to the next” he stated.