By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The Centre for Human Resource Development (CHRD) of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Centre for Human Resource Development (CHRD) of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), in collaboration with Auto Clinic Centre, Abuja, has launched a certificate course in Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Auto-Diagnostics (ADs). The initiative was officially flagged off during a virtual ceremony.
Declaring the event open, NOUN Vice Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Peters—represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) and Chairman of the Vice Chancellor’s Committee on Certificate Courses, Professor Isaac Sammani Rabo Butswat—commended Auto Clinic Centre for its commitment to the program. He encouraged participants to engage fully with the course to maximize its benefits.
The Special Guest of Honour, Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali, represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Omaye, hailed the partnership as a significant stride in promoting technological innovation through public-private collaboration. He emphasized the course’s potential to combat the menace of quackery in Nigeria’s automotive sector and assured participants of the ministry’s continued support.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Samuel Gbadebo Odewumi, Special Adviser to the National Universities Commission (NUC) on CNG and Electric Vehicles and a governing council member of the University of Transportation, Daura, highlighted the opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s evolving EV industry. He praised NOUN’s foresight in championing capacity building in emerging automotive technologies and affirmed that students of Lagos State University’s School of Transport and Logistics would benefit from the course before graduation.
Also speaking from Vienna, Austria, CEO of Auto Clinic Centre, Mr. Nathaniel Okwesiri, alongside auto expert Mr. Robert Popiel, expressed gratitude to NOUN's leadership for their determination in launching the course. Okwesiri decried the dangers posed by unqualified auto technicians, stating that poor vehicle maintenance causes more deaths than medical malpractice in Nigeria—yet lacks the same accountability. He pledged the Centre’s ongoing commitment to sustaining the training initiative.
Professor Aminu Umar, Director of CHRD, traced the launch to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by NOUN in September 2023 with three private organizations. He noted that the goal is to promote practical, skills-based training to tackle the issue of unprofessionalism in technical trades and empower Nigerians with market-relevant competencies.
The three-month certificate course, which includes a one-week internship, is the first of eight programs proposed by Auto Clinic Centre as part of its long-term collaboration with NOUN.
Describing the launch as historic, Professor Umar emphasized that the initiative reinforces NOUN’s commitment to community development and equips individuals with essential skills to improve their lives and contribute meaningfully to society.
"The collaboration between NOUN and Auto Clinic Centre is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships in fostering innovation and meeting industry needs," he added.
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