The Federal Government has commenced a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle conversion training programme for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the South-East, as part of efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical skills and promote alternative energy solutions.
The programme, organised under the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative in collaboration with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), was officially flagged off in Enugu on Tuesday.
The training is designed to equip selected corps members with practical knowledge of CNG vehicle conversion and create opportunities for them to establish businesses and become self-reliant after their service year.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Youth Initiatives, Dr Titi Gbadamosi, said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to prepare young Nigerians for emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s alternative energy sector.
Gbadamosi described the NYSC period as an important transition between formal education and the workforce, stressing the need to equip corps members with skills capable of providing sustainable livelihoods.
She said the Federal Government had set a target of converting 100,000 vehicles to CNG annually, noting that achieving the target would create employment opportunities for trained technicians and entrepreneurs.
According to her, the training would continue throughout the corps members’ service year, with beneficiaries expected to become certified CNG conversion technicians.
Representing the NADDC Director-General, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, the Council’s Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Ikechukwu Okoha, urged participants to pay close attention to both the theoretical and practical aspects of the training.
Okoha disclosed that corps members who establish CNG conversion centres after their service would receive support from the NADDC, including the necessary licences at no cost.
He described the programme as an opportunity for beneficiaries to acquire skills that could translate into viable businesses and employment.
The NYSC Enugu State Coordinator, Mrs Oluwakemi Awolola, said Enugu was among the pilot states selected for the CNG training.
She urged the corps members to take full advantage of the programme and use the skills acquired to become employers of labour rather than depend solely on conventional employment opportunities after their service.
One of the beneficiaries, Lilian Jamike, expressed appreciation for the initiative, saying the training had already exposed participants to valuable knowledge about CNG conversion.
The programme is expected to continue throughout the corps members’ service year, providing further practical exposure and training towards certification and the establishment of CNG conversion centres.
The initiative is expected to strengthen youth entrepreneurship while supporting Nigeria’s transition towards cleaner and more affordable alternative energy sources.
