NAC upgrades skills of 144 auto technicians

The National Automotive Council (NAC) has graduated 144 auto technicians in Lagos under its two weeks training programme on maintenance and tyre repairs.

Director-General, NAC, Aminu Jalal said the training was meant to close the skills gap of auto mechanics in the repair of modern generation vehicles in the country.

Jalal who was represented by the Special Adviser to the DG, Abubakar Dalhat, said it was discovered from a skills gap analysis conducted in the country that majority of the mechanics in Nigeria lack the relevant knowledge about vehicle electrical and electronic components repair.

“Technology in the auto sector advances continually and at a very fast pace. Most cars on our roads today are built with a lot of electronically controlled systems.

“The only way to meet up with this advancement is training and re-training and the council will continue to partner with all stakeholders to ensure our mechanics keep up to date.”

Jalal said that the gap necessitated the commencement of various re-training programmes for auto mechanics since 2006 till date.

He said the training was also to reduce the number of road accidents in the country, which the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) attributes to wrong choice, use, and repair of tyres.

The DG said the training would enable participants to repair, maintain tyres adequately and advice their clients on the proper purchase and use of tyres.

According to him, the programme was to enhance capacity building in line with the approved National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP).

Dean of School of Engineering, Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, Muiz Ashaolu, said the training would assist auto technicians to be abreast with latest trends in the world.