FG to Attach 300 NYSC Corps Members to CNG Workshops for Skills Training

FG to Attach 300 NYSC Corps Members to CNG Workshops for Skills Training

 

The Federal Government has announced plans to train and attach 300 National Youth Service Corps members to compressed natural gas conversion centres across the country as part of efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical technical skills and promote the adoption of CNG-powered vehicles.

 

The initiative is expected to provide the selected corps members with specialised training in CNG vehicle conversion and maintenance, enabling them to acquire skills that could improve their employment and entrepreneurship prospects after completing their national service.

 

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives, Monitoring and Delivery, Dr Titilope Gbadamosi, disclosed the plan at the opening of a CNG Retrofitting Training Programme for corps members at the NYSC FCT Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja.

 

Gbadamosi said the selected corps members would undergo training and certification as CNG technicians before being deployed to CNG conversion centres across the country.

 

She explained that the programme would cover the six geopolitical zones and was designed to contribute to the Federal Government’s broader plan to expand the conversion of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to CNG.

 

According to her, the initiative is expected to support the government’s target of converting 100,000 vehicles to CNG annually, while simultaneously creating opportunities for young Nigerians to develop specialised technical expertise.

 

The programme is being implemented in collaboration with relevant government agencies and stakeholders in the automotive and energy sectors.

 

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the initiative would provide corps members with practical skills capable of complementing their university and polytechnic qualifications.

 

Olawande urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously, describing technical and vocational skills as important tools for reducing youth unemployment and increasing self-reliance.

 

He said the Federal Government was interested in ensuring that the NYSC programme did not end with the traditional primary assignment and community development activities, but also provided corps members with skills that could sustain them after their service year.

 

The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, also described the programme as an important step towards equipping young Nigerians for emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s changing energy and automotive landscape.

 

He said the collaboration demonstrated the scheme’s commitment to providing corps members with practical skills and preparing them for the labour market.

 

The National Automotive Design and Development Council is also involved in the initiative, particularly in relation to technical standards and certification for the CNG conversion training.

 

The Federal Government has in recent years intensified efforts to promote CNG as a cheaper alternative fuel following the removal of petrol subsidy and the resulting increase in transportation costs.

 

The government has maintained that greater adoption of CNG could help reduce transportation costs, conserve foreign exchange spent on petroleum products and create new jobs in the automotive conversion and maintenance sector.

 

The training of NYSC members is therefore expected to address both sides of the policy — increasing the pool of skilled personnel available to service the growing CNG industry while providing young Nigerians with employable technical skills.

 

Meanwhile, reports circulating that each of the 300 corps members will receive a monthly training allowance of ₦100,000 have not been independently confirmed in the official details released on the programme.

 

The confirmed aspect of the initiative is that the selected corps members will receive specialised training and certification before being attached to CNG conversion centres across the country.

 

The programme is expected to serve as a pilot for broader youth-focused skills development initiatives as the Federal Government continues to seek ways of linking national service with employment, entrepreneurship and emerging economic opportunities.

 

FG to Attach 300 NYSC Corps Members to CNG Workshops for Skills Training