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By Moses Akaigwe
The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) is equipping National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members with practical skills in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle conversion, opening the door to new employment and business opportunities in Nigeria’s growing clean mobility sector.
The programme being implemented in with the NYSC under its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative, entered its practical phase on Monday at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, with a focus on developing a competent workforce to support Nigeria’s expanding CNG and clean-mobility ecosystem.
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, who gave more insight into the project at the event, encouraged the trainees to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in Nigeria’s clean mobility sector.
The Director General was represented by the Assistant Director, Press and Protocol, NADDC, Mr Ikechukwu Okoha.
Osanipin said the initiative was designed to equip Nigerian youths with practical automotive skills capable of translating into employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.
He commended the NYSC leadership for providing the platform and acknowledged the contributions of Portland Gas Ltd, technical instructors, programme coordinators and other stakeholders involved in the initiative.
According to him, the transition from the theoretical foundation to hands-on CNG vehicle conversion was critical because competence in CNG technology depended largely on practical knowledge and adherence to approved technical procedures.
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He said the trainees would be exposed to the identification and functions of CNG components, installation procedures, fuel-system integration, electrical and electronic connections, leak detection, system testing, calibration, diagnostics and maintenance.
“Safety must come first. Nobody should undertake CNG conversion merely because he or she has attended a training. You must acquire the competence, discipline and practical skills required to perform the job safely and professionally,” he said.
He noted that NADDC’s objective was not merely to produce certificate holders, but competent automotive technicians and entrepreneurs capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s expanding CNG ecosystem.
He said practical demonstrations, supervised hands-on training, compliance with technical standards and strict observance of proper procedures were therefore central to the programme.
He encouraged the corps members to view the training as a potential foundation for sustainable careers and businesses rather than simply as an NYSC skills-acquisition exercise.
“As you commence this technical phase, I challenge you to approach the training with seriousness, discipline and a commitment to excellence. Let the knowledge and practical skills acquired here become a tool for creating value, generating employment and supporting Nigeria’s transition to cleaner and more affordable mobility,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Youth Initiatives (Monitoring and Delivery), Dr Titilope Gbadamosi, described the initiative as a major opportunity for youth employment.
She said CNG had emerged as an alternative to conventional fuel following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s removal of the fuel subsidy, adding that the President was targeting the retrofitting and conversion of 100,000 vehicles to CNG annually.
Advising the youths to take the opportunity seriously, Gbadamosi said NADDC was ready to certify corps members who were prepared to establish their own workshops free of charge.
“CNG, EV are the future of automobile in Nigeria,” she said.
Corroborating Gbadamosi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State on Youth Development and Mobilisation, Mr Opeyemi Oladimeji, also advised the youths to take advantage of the opportunity provided by NADDC.
“NADDC is an agency that is expecting to develop the youths. You can take this training and become an employer of labour. Take this opportunity to heart and make the nation proud,” Oladimeji emphasised.
Michelle Ejiofor, Vice President of Sales and Chief Commercial Officer at Portland Gas Limited, also addressed the NYSC members as part of the nationwide initiative to equip Nigerian youths with CNG retrofitting and vehicle conversion skills.
The programme was earlier launched at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Kubwa, Abuja, on August 11, 2026, under the NYSC SAED Programme.
It 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.
The pilot phase is expected to cover one state in each of the six geopolitical zones, including the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Adamawa, Lagos, Edo and Enugu.
