NADDC Gets Senate’s Commendations As Committee Inspects Vehicle Emissions Testing Centre at Lagos Polythenic
By Meshak Sharks Idehen
As the country gets set for the production of wholly made in Nigeria vehicles, the Senate Committee on Industry, Trade and Investments said the committee is very pleased with the Nigeria Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), over the level of work that has been done to supervise the project at Lagos Polythenic.
The Senate Committee lauded the NADDC over its prudent use of budgetary allocations especially in funding new projects and completing abandoned ones.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Dr. Sam Egwu, who led members of his committee on an inspection of the project in Lagos on Tuesday, said the oversight tour was to supervise the ongoing projects and to ensure that the appropriated funds is properly utilized.
According to him, the oversight visit is in pursuant of the constitutional responsibility spelled out in section 88(1) and (2), 89(1) and (2) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, adding the purpose of this visit is to conduct assessment on the level of implementation.
Egwu said this was the second time the committee would embark on similar visit to the institution, pointing out that from what he has seen so far, that the project will be ready for commissioning by the first month of the New Year.
He commended the director general of the NADDC for a job well done; saying the director general has proven his capacity as a leader and authority in the global automotive industry, when consideration is given to the vibrancy and economic development that the automotive sector under the current leadership of NADDC has brought to bear.
The Senate committee assured the management and staff of NADDC of their continuous support in the areas of law making and appropriation adding that, while urging the contractors to put finishing touches to the project so that it can be commissioned quickly to support the visible growth in the automotive industry in Nigeria.
On his part, the Director General of NADDC, Mr. Jelani Aliyu (MFR), said the council was committed to the realization of the production of wholly made in Nigeria vehicles as soon as possible.
He said the council was already building test emission centers across the country, in order to ensure that vehicles produced in the country meets global emission standards so that the environment and can be well protected.
According to him, the emission laboratory together with two other automotive test centres being built by the Council in Enugu and Kaduna States, were part of the essential infrastructures needed to move the automotive industry in Nigeria to the next enviable level.
Aliyu said NADDC will work closely with global auto manufacturers like Nissan, Toyota, BMW and Ford amongst others to ensure that wholly Nigerian produced vehicles quickly become a reality, adding the council will also consolidate on providing support, technical expertise and direction to the industry, including to indigenous vehicles manufacturers in order to fast track the process of achieving the mandate of the council for the sustainable development of the automotive industry in Nigeria.
Commending the senate committee for its support, the NADDC director general said these initiatives when fully implemented, will have the multiple effects of creating thousands of jobs, generating unlimited skills acquisition opportunities for Nigerians in the automotive design and development sectors and creating avenues for enhanced governments revenues through diversification