Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — At the Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in Abuja, the National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, and the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to commence Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, retrofitting training for corps members under the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme.
The initiative is aimed at equipping Nigerian youths with practical, enterprise-ready skills in CNG vehicle conversion and maintenance in line with the Federal Government’s energy transition agenda and drive toward sustainable transportation solutions.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, described the partnership as a major step toward advancing Nigeria’s automotive and clean energy ecosystem. He noted that the collaboration reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the growing demand for skilled manpower in the emerging CNG sector following the transition to alternative energy solutions.
Osanipin stated that NADDC would deploy its technical expertise toward the development and implementation of a world-class CNG retrofitting curriculum tailored for corps members with engineering backgrounds. He added that participants would receive practical training and industry-relevant certification to prepare them for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities within the automotive and energy sectors.
“The Federal Government’s pivot to Compressed Natural Gas has created an urgent skills gap in the Nigerian workforce, and NADDC is fully committed to addressing that challenge through structured technical training and certification,” he said, while appreciating the support of the Ministry of Youth Development, NYSC leadership, Pi-CNG, and other stakeholders for the successful collaboration.
The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, commended the Federal Government for prioritising youth empowerment through sustainable initiatives and assured that the NYSC would provide the necessary institutional support to ensure the successful implementation of the programme across the country. He further noted that the scheme remains committed to partnerships that create meaningful economic opportunities for corps members and contribute to national growth and development.
Other dignitaries who graced the event included the Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande; the Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives (Monitoring and Delivery), Titilope Gbadamosi and representatives of Pi-CNG, alongside senior officials of NADDC and NYSC.
The three-year partnership is expected to create a pipeline of trained CNG technicians across the country, strengthen Nigeria’s clean energy transition, and contribute significantly to youth empowerment, employment, and entrepreneurship development through effective inter-agency collaboration.
This article was originally posted at sweetcrudereports.com
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