Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has announced plans to train youths in the region on vehicle manufacturing at the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company in Anambra State, as part of its skills acquisition programme.
The NDDC Interim Administrator, Mr Efiong Akwa, said already the Commission had a partnership with Innoson, for the training of youths in different aspects of automobile maintenance.
Akwa, represented by his Special Adviser on Youths, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, while inspecting facilities at Innoson factory in Nnewi, Anambra State, said the visit to the factory was to firm up the partnership.
He observed that the Presidential Amnesty Programme had trained several Niger Delta youths in the facility and they came out with valuable skills.
“There are lots of skills that our young ones can get from this facility. They can be trained in fabrication, assembly, painting and corrosion control, among others. We think that because of the growing economy of the Niger Delta and Nigeria, it is important that we begin to grow our own skills to be better able to manage our economy.
“We want to continue with that kind of development and get to a situation where we will have a plant in the Niger Delta that will also be manufacturing vehicles. We will take the partnership to a point where a replica of the Innoson factory will be set up in the Niger Delta region.
“We are aware that the training facility here teaches skills, attitude and entrepreneurship. We know that if you learn a skill, you should be able to translate that into financial gains.”
Responding, The Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Academy, Mr Endi Ezengwa, applauded NDDC for considering its facilities at Innoson Motors for the training of Niger Delta youths, stating that he looked forward to seeing the partnership come into effect.
Ezengwa said that the youths had too much energy that needed to be properly harnessed and channeled into constructive use, such as in fixing vehicles and contributing to the industrialisation of the Niger Delta region.
He assured that the Innoson Group would in due course set up workshops in the Niger Delta region in collaboration with agencies like the NDDC.
“The skills from our factory is what we want to transfer to our young ones, so that apart from maintenance of vehicles, they can also manufacture vehicles to some degree. For instance, they can manufacture engine bolts, tools for agriculture and generally imbibe the concept of manufacturing.”
