FG tasks automotive assembly plants on improving local content

Targeted at improving local content in assembly plants in Nigeria, the federal ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, on Monday, began a two-week intensive training for 18 engineers on designing components for the automotive industry.

The training for the South-West geopolitical zone, which is holding in Ibadan, will see the participants trained on having a grasp of automotive design software so as to produce semi-knocked down or completely knocked down components rather than the usual reliance on importation before automobiles are assembled in Nigeria.

Director, Research, Design and Development, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Dr Fidelis Achiv, in his remarks at the opening event, said the federal government was keen on encouraging assembly plants in Nigeria to improve their local content.

Achiv said the participants at end of the training are expected to be able to produce components that can replace those coming from abroad.

He assured support of the federal government and the NADDC, in particular, to the extent that the components designed by the trainees are sold to the global automotive industry.

Achiv said: “The Assembly plants in Nigeria are encouraged to improve on their local content which is why we selected the seven topmost Assembly plants to send in representatives so that if they have a grasp of this design software, they can be able to design, in house, components that can replace those that are coming from off the shore thereby increasing the local content of our locally assembled products.

“We have 18 participants drawn from the six South-Western states. They have a golden opportunity that if they explore it, can change their lives. They will be able to design components for the automotive industry.

“These components they will design can be sold to the original equipment manufacturers in Nigeria, those assembling vehicles in Nigeria. They can also sell to the council because we also do prototype vehicles. They can sell to the global automotive industry, global players like General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi and the likes.”

Representing Coscharis Group, its Product Manager, Solid Works covering West East-Central Africa, Mr Clement Nedu encouraged the participants to be keen to create their own startups.

Nedu noted that having more people with startups, products and companies of their own will go a long way in reducing unemployment and enhancing the nation’s economy.

Declaring the training open, board member, NADDC, Senator Iyiola Omisore noted that the training will make the participants global players in the design of automotive products.

Represented by Mr Kayode Alufa, Omisore charged the participants to accord the training full seriousness as a means to be self-employed, be better persons and make the country better.

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