National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has announced the establishment of vital structures and frameworks to initiate local production of vehicle spare parts.
Gatekeepers News reports that this initiative seeks to diminish Nigeria’s dependence on imports, which currently cost the nation approximately $1 billion each year.
During the conclusion of a two-week training program focused on automotive engineering and software design, held in Abuja in collaboration with Midas IT Co. of South Korea, NADDC Director General Joseph Osanipin shared these developments. The training emphasised the use of Midas NFX software, a tool designed for advanced design and analysis.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General, Fidelis Achiv, the Director of Research Design and Development, reiterated the council’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s automotive sector. The goal is to increase the proportion of locally manufactured components used in vehicle assembly, thereby bolstering the domestic industry.
“We are working to achieve a level whereby we can go back to assembling vehicles that have up to 40% locally manufactured components. We have vehicle assemblies in Nigeria but the assembling that is going on is not adding much value to the economy.
“Vehicles that have been assembled come in completely built, and they just remove the tyres, remove the exhaust system, remove the engine, ship them, and come and assemble them here. But we want to transform from that to a level where these vehicles come in unpainted, the welding is done here, some components parts are produced here and the assembly will add more value, and employ more people. We have over 11 million vehicles on our Nigerian roads.
“Of the over 3,000 parts in a vehicle, if we can leverage on producing just 10 that we can beat our chest, that in the whole world, Nigeria produces these 10 components and they are best, the market is going to be huge. Our economy will change,” he stated.
The training boot camp, which hosted 15 participants, aims to equip engineers with the skills necessary to achieve this vision.
“The essence is to train engineers to design and produce parts, making Nigeria self-sufficient in vehicle parts production,” Achiv explained.
Abdul-Lawal Zubair, Managing Director of FAZSAL Nigeria Limited, encouraged participants to apply their newly acquired skills practically and creatively to address challenges in the automotive industry
“You have not just seen the theory of design but with practicality. Solve the issues for us. There is a reason among all the software for this agency to choose Midas NFX.
“Let them be proud of you. They can call you for advanced training, possibly in South Korea. Don’t just know the software and keep it. Be innovative and give solutions,” he said
