..:: AUTO REPORT AFRICA ::..
Related Articles
Kia Motors Nigeria has further deepened its commitment to human capacity development in the country through a tripartite partnership with Kogi State and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The strategic partnership is aimed at providing the youth with a state-of-the-art Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) required to keep them at the same pace with engineers from other parts of the world.
The project, known as KOICA-KOGI-KIA project (3Ks), aims to support the revitalisation of the TVET sector in the state. At the meeting to discuss the strategic alliance, KOICA Country Director/Regional Representative, Sook Hyun Park, and Mr. Olu Tikolo, Vice President KIA Motors, met with the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to propose an agreement that is aimed at developing the TVET project.
Over the decades, the gap between the technical schools’ age-long curriculum and the fast-paced technological development permeating the world over has made it imperative to bolster the quality of education of young engineers in the country. In a bid to bridge the gap, Kia’s partnership with Kogi State and KOICA is set to equip the interns of the technical schools with the technical know-how that aligns them with technological advancements making wave across the globe.
KIA will provide and share new technologies of automotive engineering in car manufacturing and also support students of the Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute of Vocational and Advanced Technology (NKFI) located in Kogi State. On the other hand, KOICA will liaise with the Kogi State Government for the project initiation and commencement.
KOICA and Kia have a keen interest in the project and hope that the ‘3Ks project’ would help the students’ vocational training and bring them at par with international standard, ensure the long-term sustainability of the institute, and empower graduates that will propel the economy on a dynamic growth trajectory.
It will be recalled that over the years, Kia has always been an ardent advocate of human capacity development and vocational training programs for the youth. In its assembly plant in Lagos, over 90% of skilled labours at the plant are engineering graduates from reputable tertiary institutions of the country. The car company offers periodic training for these engineers to bring them up to speed with the new innovations in the automobile industry.
The model range of cars is produced by the Nigerian engineers working in the plant. Kia through its implementation of the Nigerian Automotive Development and Design Council’s (NADDC) policies has truly lived up to its bid to producing truly made-in-Nigeria and made-for-Nigeria cars with an appreciable amount of local content utilisation in the production of their cars.
