NADDC Kicks Off CNG Conversion Training for 300 Corps Members in Lagos

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has commenced the technical phase of its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle retrofitting training for Corps Members in Lagos, as part of efforts to build a skilled workforce for Nigeria’s emerging CNG and clean-mobility industry.

The Lagos training, held at the NYSC Orientation Camp on Monday is part of a pilot programme targeting 300 Corps Members across selected locations in the country under the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme.

The nationwide initiative was formally flagged off in Abuja on August 11, 2026, with the pilot covering the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Adamawa, Lagos, Edo and Enugu.

The programme is being implemented by NADDC and NYSC with support from the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles (PCNGI-EV), and the Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives (Monitoring and Delivery), Dr. Titilope Gbadamosi.

Speaking at the Lagos technical commencement, Gbadamosi said the CNG training represented a deliberate effort by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to connect young Nigerians to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities emerging from government policies.

She explained that CNG had become increasingly important following the removal of fuel subsidy, describing the alternative fuel as a cheaper option while noting the need to convert existing petrol and diesel vehicles to CNG.

According to her, the Federal Government’s target of converting 100,000 vehicles annually to CNG would create significant demand for trained conversion engineers and technicians.

“This is a big number — 100,000 vehicles to be annually repurposed, converted to CNG,” she said, adding that the government had identified the opportunity to create jobs for young people in the process.

Gbadamosi said the training was particularly targeted at Corps Members from backgrounds including mechatronics, automotive engineering, electrical engineering and other engineering disciplines related to vehicles and vehicle assembly.

She explained that the objective was not merely to expose participants to a one-week training programme but to provide them with sustained practical experience.

According to her, after completing the mandatory three-week NYSC orientation programme, participating young engineers would be attached to CNG conversion centres for practical learning throughout their service year.

“This then gives us a full-year learning experience. It’s not a week, but one year,” she said.

Gbadamosi urged the participants to take the opportunity seriously, stressing that the skills acquired could provide a pathway to employment and enable beneficiaries to establish their own CNG conversion businesses.

She further disclosed that the NADDC Director-General had promised to support Corps Members who were interested in establishing their own workshops, including facilitating certification free of charge for qualified participants under the programme.

She described CNG and electric vehicles as part of the future of the automobile industry and urged the young engineers to position themselves to benefit from the emerging opportunities.

Earlier, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, NADDC, Mr. Ikechukwu Okoha, who represented the NADDC Director-General, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, said the programme demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to equipping Nigerian youths with relevant technical skills that could translate into employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.

Okoha said the technical phase marked a transition from theoretical learning to supervised practical training in CNG vehicle conversion.

He said participants would receive practical instruction on the identification and functions of CNG components, installation procedures, fuel-system integration, electrical and electronic connections, leak detection, system testing, calibration, diagnostics and maintenance.

He stressed that safety must remain the foundation of every CNG conversion operation.

According to him, CNG is a safe and reliable automotive fuel when properly installed, handled and maintained in line with approved standards and procedures.

He cautioned participants against attempting CNG conversion simply because they had attended a training programme, stressing that competence, discipline, practical experience and adherence to technical standards were essential.

Okoha said NADDC’s objective was not simply to produce certificate holders but to develop competent automotive technicians and entrepreneurs capable of supporting Nigeria’s growing CNG ecosystem.

He urged the Corps Members to pay close attention to their instructors and understand not only how each component is installed but why specific procedures must be followed.

He also warned that poor workmanship, improper connections, inadequate testing and failure to observe safety procedures could have serious consequences.

The NADDC representative said the growing CNG ecosystem was already creating opportunities for technicians, installers, maintenance specialists, diagnostic personnel, trainers and entrepreneurs.

He urged the beneficiaries to see the training as a potential foundation for sustainable careers and businesses beyond their NYSC service year.

The initiative builds on the commitment announced at its Abuja flag-off by the NADDC Director-General, Osanipin, who described the programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s youth and an important example of inter-agency collaboration in developing human capital for cleaner mobility.

Osanipin had stressed that skilled technicians and safety professionals would be critical to the successful expansion of Nigeria’s CNG sector and announced that participating Corps Members would receive certification free of charge.

The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, had also described the programme as an important addition to the Corps’ youth empowerment efforts, noting that specialised CNG conversion and maintenance skills could improve participants’ prospects for employment and self-employment after their service year.

The Lagos technical training therefore represents the practical phase of a broader government effort to link youth empowerment with Nigeria’s ongoing automotive and energy transition.

Through the partnership, NADDC is providing technical expertise and industry-focused capacity development, while NYSC provides the platform for reaching young Nigerians and integrating the specialised training into its existing SAED framework.

With the Federal Government targeting the conversion of 100,000 vehicles to CNG annually, stakeholders believe the development of a competent pool of young conversion engineers and technicians will be crucial to achieving the target safely and sustainably.