Enugu: Innoson Kiara Academy, Enugu, has partnered with the Nigerian Automotive Technicians Association (NATA) to train 5,000 youths in vocational skills over the next two years. The programme targets unemployed youths from the South-East region of Nigeria, with the aim of equipping them with practical skills for gainful employment in the automotive and related sectors.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Kiara Academy and Consortium, Endi Ezengwa, revealed in an interview that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with NATA to facilitate this training. He highlighted that the academy had already trained over 5,000 youths since its inception, including 2,500 trained in collaboration with the German government. This initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu's Nigeria First policy, which promotes the production of made-in-Nigeria products.
Ezengwa emphasized the need for skilled personnel to achieve the policy's targets, advocating that this would enhance the nation's foreign exchange earnings and generate employment. "This is why our chairman, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, convened the stakeholders meeting to engage Nigerian youths on technical and vocational skills. This is because he has passion for things made in Nigeria," he stated.
Further explaining the academy's structure, Ezengwa mentioned that it includes trainers from various company components. The consortium provides employment and psychosocial support services, offering a comprehensive package on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The initiative extends beyond automobile maintenance and manufacturing to include sectors such as body vehicle building, welding, fabrication, engineering, agriculture, and fashion from five south-eastern states.
Ezengwa shared that Chief Chukwuma had pledged to employ as many individuals as possible in the factory and encouraged NATA members to take on some apprentices. He expressed concern over the employment gap in Nigeria's welding sub-sector, noting that skilled welders could earn up to $5,000 a month in certain countries. "We have heard about Nigerians hiring people from Ghana, Togo, and others to do some works like building projects because our youths lack skills. So it's important that people start taking this matter serious as technical and vocational education is the way to go and governments should support TVET," Ezengwa advised.