Innoson Kiara Academy, Enugu, in partnership with the Nigerian Automotive Technicians Association (NATA), is set to train 5,000 unemployed youths in vocational skills over the next two years.
The trainees will be selected from across the South-East region of Nigeria.
Mr Endi Ezengwa, Chief Executive Officer of Innoson Kiara Academy and Consortium, disclosed this during an interview) in Enugu on Friday.
“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NATA to train 5,000 unemployed youths in the South-East over the next two years,” he said.
Ezengwa noted that the academy has trained over 5,000 young people since its inception, including 2,500 beneficiaries in collaboration with the German government.
He added that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Nigeria First policy, which encourages the patronage and production of locally made goods.
“To meet the objectives of the policy, the country needs a skilled workforce to produce these goods, which will, in turn, boost foreign exchange earnings and generate employment,” he explained.
He said this was why the Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, convened a stakeholders’ meeting to engage Nigerian youths in technical and vocational training.
“Chief Chukwuma is passionate about locally made products,” Ezengwa added.
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He further explained that the academy comprises trainers from various departments within the company.
“We operate as a consortium, with some members providing both employment opportunities and psychosocial support services. We offer a holistic Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) package,” he said.
Beyond automobile maintenance, manufacturing, vehicle body building, welding, and fabrication, Chief Chukwuma has invited training service providers in other sectors such as engineering, agriculture, and fashion across the five South-Eastern states.
He noted that Chief Chukwuma has pledged to offer employment to as many trainees as possible within the factory, and encouraged NATA members to also take on some apprentices.
Ezengwa lamented the estimated 300,000-job gap in Nigeria’s welding sector, stating that skilled welders could earn as much as $5,000 per month in some countries.
“We have heard of Nigerians hiring workers from Ghana, Togo, and elsewhere for building projects because our youths lack the required skills.
“It is therefore crucial that we begin to take this issue seriously. Technical and vocational education is the way forward, and governments at all levels must support TVET,” he advised.
