The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has trained more than 15,000 technicians nationwide as part of efforts to strengthen technical capacity, improve after-sales services and deepen sustainability within Nigeria’s automotive industry.

Director-General of the Council, Joseph Osanipin, disclosed this in Abuja during a capacity-building programme for members of the House of Representatives Press Corps, organised in collaboration with the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs.

Osanipin said the large-scale training initiative is central to Nigeria’s automotive development strategy, aimed at building the skilled workforce required to support local vehicle assembly, component production and maintenance services.

He explained that while policy frameworks such as the Nigeria Automotive Industry Development Plan provide direction, industrial sustainability depends heavily on human capital development.

“The sustainability of any automotive ecosystem depends not only on assembly plants but also on the availability of skilled technicians who can maintain and service vehicles efficiently,” he said.

According to him, strengthening local technical expertise will reduce reliance on foreign support services, enhance consumer confidence and improve the competitiveness of locally assembled vehicles.

He added that the Council’s broader localisation programme seeks to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported vehicles and spare parts by promoting domestic production of selected components.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akintunde Rotimi, said the automotive training engagement reflects the House of Representatives’ broader reform agenda to strengthen professionalism within its parliamentary media ecosystem.

Rotimi conveyed the goodwill of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and members of the 10th Assembly, noting that effective legislative work must be complemented by informed public communication.

He stressed that industrial policies such as those guiding the automotive sector require clear interpretation and contextual reporting to ensure public understanding and support.

“Our legislative responsibility does not end with lawmaking. It is completed when citizens understand the purpose, impact and long-term benefits of policy decisions,” he said.

Rotimi described the automotive sector as sitting at the intersection of industrialisation, job creation, local content development, technology transfer and economic diversification — priorities that align with the House’s economic growth agenda.

Similarly, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Grace Ike, described the engagement as a strategic step toward strengthening policy-focused journalism.

She urged legislative reporters to translate complex automotive policies into accessible stories capable of shaping public discourse and attracting investment.

“Informed journalism is vital to accountability, investment attraction and national development,” she said, encouraging participants to deepen investigative reporting and interrogate sectoral policy frameworks more rigorously.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Gboyega Onadiran, described local automotive production as an economic necessity rather than a policy aspiration.

He warned that continued dependence on imported vehicles places pressure on foreign exchange reserves and weakens domestic value chains.

According to him, strengthening local assembly and component manufacturing will conserve foreign exchange, create technical and engineering jobs, and stimulate growth in supporting industries such as steel, rubber, plastics and glass production.

Onadiran urged Nigerians to consciously patronise locally assembled vehicles, noting that consumer choices directly influence industrial growth and economic stability.

The NADDC boss reaffirmed that sustained investment in skills development — including the training of over 15,000 technicians — would position Nigeria as a competitive automotive hub within Africa, particularly under continental trade frameworks that reward strong local content.

The event underscored the shared view among regulators, lawmakers and media stakeholders that technical capacity development, informed legislative reporting and consistent policy implementation are critical to expanding Nigeria’s automotive footprint and achieving long-term industrial resilience.