Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Director- General, National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, received a courtesy visit from the Executive Secretary, Angela Ajala, NCCE, Dr. Mrs Angela Ajala, at the Council’s Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Ajala expressed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways of repositioning teacher education beyond conventional classroom teaching. She emphasized the importance of introducing standards, quality assurance, and strategic initiatives that will help transform teacher education in Nigeria.
“In the next six years, if urgent and drastic measures are not taken, Nigeria may face a shortage of teachers due to the declining societal perception of the teaching profession.” she said.
She explained that while there are numerous emerging skills globally, the automotive industry and automotive technology remain critical sectors for the future. In that regard, the Commission sought to collaborate with NADDC to jointly review the technical and vocational education curriculum to introduce automotive technology into Colleges of Education as one of the key skill areas that can better position students for future opportunities.
Dr. Ajala also highlighted the need for NADDC’s support in equipping Colleges of Education with automotive laboratories, workshops, mini innovation hubs, fabrication centres, and auto-diagnostic equipment. She noted that with the growing advancement in electric vehicles (EVs), CNG-powered vehicles, hybrid systems, diesel technology, and other emerging automotive innovations, these hubs and centres would serve as practical training facilities, research and innovation spaces, as well as entrepreneurship hubs for students.
She further stressed the need for capacity building for lecturers and instructors to ensure that digital and emerging automotive technologies are embedded in selected pilot Colleges of Education where demand for such skills is expected to be high
In the same vein, the Executive Secretary, emphasized the need to develop students’ practical and entrepreneurial skills through initiatives such as National Automotive Skills Competitions, internships, industrial attachment placements, innovation challenges, and apprenticeship partnerships with automotive companies. According to her, these efforts will improve students’ employability beyond earning teaching certificates, while also promoting entrepreneurship and job creation, especially as every college already has an entrepreneurship centre.
Responding, the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, expressed strong interest in the proposed collaboration, stating that education remains a critical pillar of national development. He noted that regardless of one’s aspirations in life, education whether formal or informal plays a vital role in achieving them.
Osanipin expressed the Council’s readiness to collaborate with the Commission, adding that NCCE’s proposal aligns with NADDC’s long-standing initiatives of partnering with higher institutions, Colleges of Education, technical colleges, polytechnics, and universities to strengthen skills development and enhance capacity within Nigeria’s automotive sector.
A collaborative engagement committee between the two agencies were set up to fast track the process of achieving better-trained technical teachers, increased youth employability, innovation and entrepreneurship growth, stronger skills development centres, enhanced local automotive capacity and economic development and industrialization.
