NADDC Experts Validate CNG, EV Training Manuals for Automotive Workforce

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has brought together automotive experts and stakeholders in Lagos to critically review and validate draft instructional manuals for the training and certification of personnel in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicle (EV) technologies.

The technical workshop, held at keja, Lagos was aimed at ensuring that the manuals meet industry requirements and provide effective, competency-based pathways for training and certification in emerging automotive technologies.

Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, represented by the Director, Industrial Infrastructure Department, Mrs Joke Onireti, said the exercise marked a critical stage in the development of skilled manpower for Nigeria’s rapidly evolving automotive industry.

Osanipin commended past and present leadership of the Automotive Sector Skills Council (SSC) for its commitment to advancing competency-based skills development in the sector.

He recalled that NADDC received approval from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in 2016 to establish the Sector Skills Council for the Automotive Industry, describing the recognition as an indication of the importance of industry-led skills development in addressing changing manpower requirements.

According to him, Sector Skills Councils bring together employers, industry practitioners, professional bodies, academia, technical institutions and other stakeholders to develop and review National Occupational Standards (NOS), identify skills gaps, promote workforce development and influence training and certification.

“Over the years, NADDC, in collaboration with the Sector Skills Council and other stakeholders, consistently supported the development of National Occupational Standards (NOS) covering various areas of the automotive industry, including emerging technologies such as Electric Vehicles and Auto Gas/CNG technologies,” he said.

He explained that the instructional manuals being reviewed were developed from approved NOS during an earlier exercise in Keffi, adding that the Lagos workshop was designed to subject the documents to detailed technical scrutiny and validation before their wider application.

Osanipin said the effectiveness of any training programme depended significantly on the quality and relevance of its instructional materials.

While the NOS define the competencies required for specific occupations, he noted that instructional manuals provide the practical pathway through which such competencies are taught, acquired, assessed and demonstrated.

He therefore urged the experts to ensure that the manuals were technically accurate, clear, practical, current, competency-based and relevant to the Nigerian operating environment.

The NADDC boss said the global automotive industry was undergoing significant technological transformation, with the increasing adoption of CNG and electric vehicles changing the skills requirements of technicians, mechanics, engineers, trainers and other professionals across the automotive value chain.

He identified the transition as an opportunity for Nigeria to promote industrial development, employment creation, youth empowerment, technology transfer, local content development and investment.

However, he stressed that these opportunities could only be fully realised if Nigeria developed a workforce equipped with the knowledge and practical skills required to safely install, operate, maintain, diagnose, repair and service emerging vehicle technologies.

“This is why the validation of these manuals is particularly significant,” Osanipin said, urging participants to subject every aspect of the documents to rigorous scrutiny.

He listed technical content, sequencing, learning outcomes, practical exercises, safety requirements, assessment components, terminology, illustrations and overall usability among areas requiring careful examination.

He also urged the experts to ensure that the manuals reflected current industry practices and technological developments while taking into account the realities of Nigerian training institutions, workshops and automotive businesses.

Particular attention, he said, should be given to occupational health and safety, especially in areas involving high-pressure CNG systems, high-voltage EV systems, battery technology, charging infrastructure, diagnostics and maintenance procedures.

“Safety must remain a fundamental component of competency in these emerging technologies,” he stressed.

Osanipin further called for the manuals to be sufficiently practical to support different categories of learners and trainers, noting that they should serve not merely as reference documents but as effective tools for teaching, practical demonstrations, skills acquisition and competency assessment.

He urged participants to identify and address gaps, ambiguities and inconsistencies in the documents and incorporate additional industry input where necessary.

“As a Council, we will continue to support the development of Nigeria’s automotive sector in all facets,” he said, expressing the hope that the final manuals would become credible national reference materials for trainers, learners, assessors and industry practitioners and remain adaptable to future technological developments.

President of the Automotive Sector Skills Council, Engr. Best Nnodim, commended NADDC for its leadership and continued investment in developing the skills needed to advance Nigeria’s automotive industry.

Nnodim said the manuals were being developed at a time when Nigeria was witnessing increased adoption of alternative-energy vehicles, electric mobility, CNG-powered vehicles, electronic vehicle systems and other emerging technologies.

“These developments require a workforce that is not only knowledgeable, but also properly trained, practically competent and able to work safely with modern vehicle technologies,” he said.

He stressed that the manuals must go beyond being documents on paper and become practical learning tools that instructors, trainers, assessors and technicians could confidently use to develop competent automotive professionals.

According to him, CNG and EV technologies require different but complementary competencies.

“For CNG, we must pay particular attention to gas systems, installation, inspection, leak detection, maintenance, diagnostics and safety,” he said.

“For EVs, areas such as high-voltage systems, battery technology, charging systems, diagnostics, isolation procedures and electrical safety require particular attention.”

Nnodim described safety as non-negotiable, saying anyone trained with the manuals should understand not only how to perform a task but also how to perform it correctly and safely.

He also emphasised the importance of industry participation in developing effective automotive training materials, saying the manuals must reflect realities in workshops and on the roads and address the needs of technicians, vehicle owners, training institutions, manufacturers, conversion centres and other stakeholders.

“The strength of these manuals will be determined not merely by their authors, but by the quality of the contributions we make during this validation process,” Nnodim said.

The immediate past President of the Automotive Sector Skills Council, Engr. Francis Udeh, said NADDC, in collaboration with the Skills Council, had developed National Occupational Standards for training technical experts in the maintenance of CNG and electric vehicles in Nigeria.

Udeh said the NOS had been approved by the Federal Government through NBTE and were now required for institutions providing training in the areas.

He explained that NADDC subsequently developed comprehensive instructional manuals to ensure uniformity and quality of training across the country.

“In line with its mandate, the NADDC and the Auto SSC have been contributing immensely to the development of standards, knowledge and skills in the Auto industry in line with international best practice,” Udeh said.

He added that the Council had also supported the establishment of CNG conversion centres across the country and the training and retraining of technical personnel, including assessors and verifiers.

During the workshop, the draft technical training manuals for CNG and EV technologies were presented in separate sessions for detailed review and input from participants.

The CNG session was anchored by Tunde Onakoya, while the EV session was handled by John Quincy.

The technical sessions enabled participants to scrutinise the proposed training content and make recommendations aimed at ensuring that the final manuals meet occupational, safety, training and certification requirements.

The validation exercise is expected to strengthen the development of a pool of skilled Nigerian technicians and automotive professionals capable of safely supporting the country’s transition towards CNG and electric mobility.