NADDC, NYSC Flag Off CNG Retrofitting Training for 300 Corps Members

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has launched a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle retrofitting training programme for 300 Corps Members across Nigeria.

The programme, flagged off on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, is being implemented under the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to equip young Nigerians with specialised technical skills for employment and entrepreneurship in the emerging CNG and clean mobility sector.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said Nigeria’s transition to cleaner, cheaper and more sustainable energy was creating opportunities for new industries, businesses and jobs.

Olawande stressed the importance of equipping young Nigerians with practical skills that could translate into sustainable livelihoods, noting that the initiative was designed to go beyond the acquisition of certificates.

The Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, described the programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s youth and a demonstration of effective inter-agency collaboration in developing the human capital required to drive the country’s clean mobility transition.

Osanipin said the expansion of the CNG ecosystem required competent technicians and safety professionals, urging participating Corps Members to take the training seriously and view it as a pathway to employment and entrepreneurship.

He also announced that certification would be provided free of charge to the participating Corps Members, while stressing the importance of strict adherence to safety standards during CNG conversion and maintenance.

The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, described the initiative as a significant step towards youth empowerment and skills development.

According to him, the pilot phase will be implemented in one location across each of the six geopolitical zones, covering the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Adamawa, Lagos, Edo and Enugu states.

He said the participating Corps Members would receive practical training in CNG vehicle conversion and maintenance, adding that the initiative would complement the SAED programme by providing specialised skills capable of improving employment and self-employment opportunities beyond the mandatory service year.

The programme is being implemented by NADDC and NYSC with the support of 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 flag-off represents a significant link between youth empowerment and Nigeria’s ongoing energy and automotive transition, with NADDC providing technical expertise and industry-focused capacity development, while NYSC provides the platform for reaching young Nigerians across the country.