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(Olaolu Olusina) Nigerians who are eager to see affordable made-in-Nigeria cars produced in the country may soon heave a sigh of relief.This is because the newly-appointed Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Jelani Aliyu, has taken up the challenge, assuring that their desire to have real and affordable made-in-Nigeria cars is, indeed, possible. He, however, noted that the realisation of such a dream can only start with the promotion of Industrial Design in the country’s educational institutions.
Aliyu, the award-winning industrial designer, who rose to global acclaim for his design of the popular Chevrolet Volt for the US auto giant, General Motors (GM), therefore urged relevant institutions in the country to promote industrial design in the automotive sub-sector of the economy, saying this would enhance the production of vehicles purely designed for Nigeria by Nigerians.
Speaking when he received members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) who were on a courtesy visit in his office at the NADDC headquarters in Abuja last Thursday, the Director-General said the Automotive Council will work on the missing link in the
design and production of made-in-Nigeria cars in order to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.
His words: “It is a matter of what Nigerians need, the interest of the people is important in developing the Nigerian automotive industry. We need institutions to be committed to promoting industrial design so that the cars we use in Nigeria should be designed and produced in Nigeria in the interest of Nigerians.”
Promising to work in pursuance of the vision of the Council to position Nigeria as one of the leading automotive manufacturing nations in the world, Jelani said: “Nigeria is not an island, we are part of global movement, we shall engage our foreign counterparts and all friends of Nigeria from all around the world to make things work in the local auto industry so that made-in-Nigeria cars can not only be produced and used in Nigeria but also in the neighbouring countries.”
The Director-General also expressed his determination to develop what he described as the mental focus and capacity of the Nigerian youths by training them to make meaningful contributions to the development of automotive industry in Nigeria. He disclosed that the empowerment would also focus on automotive design competition for the youths to further encourage them to develop their capacity for quality production in the industry.
Recall that the Director-General had earlier challenged auto technicians and mechanics in the country to develop interests in emerging technologies in the automotive industry so as not to be left out of current auto trends. He promised that NADDC would continue to support and collaborate with their associations in ensuring that cars on Nigerian roads are safe and working at efficient levels. Aliyu gave the challenge while receiving a delegation of Motor Mechanics and Technicians Association of Nigeria (MOMTAN) led by its National President, Engr. S.A. Oseni. Expressing delight that MOMTAN already had a good working relationship with the Automotive Council, the Director-General maintained that auto technicians have very important roles to play in the development of the auto industry sector.
