Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has called on automobile manufacturers, investors and indigenous entrepreneurs to invest in the state, assuring them of an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive.
Nwifuru made the call on Friday during the formal inauguration of the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) Automotive Training Centre in Abakaliki.
The Governor described the facility as a significant milestone in Ebonyi’s industrialisation drive, noting that it would contribute to technology transfer, technical skills development and sustainable job creation.
According to him, the centre, which is the first NADDC automotive training facility inaugurated in the South East geopolitical zone, is designed to equip automobile mechanics, technicians, engineers and innovators with practical skills required for the modern automotive industry.
Nwifuru urged young people in Ebonyi to take advantage of the facility and reconsider the perception that technical education is inferior to conventional academic training.
He said properly trained automobile technicians, engineers and fabricators could establish businesses, develop components and create employment opportunities for others.
The Governor further assured prospective investors that his administration would continue to provide an enabling environment for investments capable of promoting technology transfer, developing local expertise and contributing to the state’s economic growth.
He described the automotive centre as an investment in the future of Ebonyi’s youths and a practical convergence of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the state’s People’s Charter of Needs.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh, said the inauguration reflected the Federal Government’s focus on skills development, human capital development and industrialisation.
Enoh noted that emerging technologies, including electric vehicles and advanced energy management systems, require increased investment in technical education and specialised training.
He described Ebonyi as a state with strong entrepreneurial potential and encouraged young people to acquire relevant technical skills that could enable them to become employers of labour.
The Director General of NADDC, Oluwemimo Osanipin, said the centre was established to provide practical and industry-relevant training for youths and automotive practitioners across Ebonyi and the wider South East region.
He said the facility is equipped with modern training tools and is designed to support skills acquisition, technical innovation, technology transfer and workforce development.
The Chairman of the NADDC Governing Board, Emma Eneukwu, commended the Federal and Ebonyi State governments for their collaboration, describing the centre as an indication of their commitment to technological and human capital development.
The inauguration is expected to expand opportunities for technical skills acquisition while strengthening the automotive sector and supporting entrepreneurship among young people in Ebonyi and the South East.
By Enitan Mudashiru | MUK TV News
