The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), in collaboration with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Centre for Innovative and Creativity (CINOCRE) has begun the training of multistakeholders on conversion, calibration and maintenance of autogas vehicles.
The training was also in collaboration with Ice Hub Technology.
The multistakeholders cut across private organisations, academia, technicians and artisans, among others.
The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said the initiative aligned with the National Occupational standard (NOS) and National Skills Qualification Framework (NSOF) to support Nigeria’s Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGI) for sustainable transportation.
Bugaje described the Federal Government’s introduction of CNG into the energy system as a novel initiative, highlighting safety benefits of vehicles converted to CNG.
He, however, said the conversion required the right skills, where the week-long workshop was meant to address the skills issues.
He said at the last day of the training, the participants would be assessed, where those who passed would be issued NSQ certificates at unit level.
Prof. Isah Garba, the Provost of NDA, highlighted the cost benefits of CNG vehicles, stating that they were halfway between the cost of PMS and diesel.
Garba also said CNG vehicles would have positive advantages to the livelihood of Nigerians.
Describing the CNG as very safe, he said, its temperature level was cool compared to PMS.
Garba added that the initiative had the potential to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the impact of climate change.
The provost, therefore, urged Nigerians to embrace the initiative.
Some of the trainees, Sani Ayawa, an automobile mechanic and Haruna Adamu, a lecturer at the Kaduna Polytechnic, Department of Engineering, expressed their enthusiasm for the training.
They emphasised the importance of the training, highlighting the growing demand for CNG vehicles in Nigeria.
With the Federal Government’s push for sustainable transportation, they believed that the skills they would acquire would not only benefit them, but also contribute to the country’s transition to cleaner energy sources.
The training programme included theoretical and practical sessions, providing technicians with hands-on experience in CNG conversion and maintenance.