The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), has empowered auto mechanics to deepen their skills on the maintenance of broad range of vehicles and processes and introduce them to the latest diagnostic technology.
Speaking on the final day of the mechatronics training program in Lagos, the Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr. Olawale Fasanya, congratulated the graduands, saying they are able to gain hands-on experience under the tutelage of a professional/mentor.
According to Fasanya, the goal of the commercialization improvement activities for mechatronics is to increase the contribution of the Nigerian automotive industry to the national economy by ensuring the survival and expansion of the sector utilizing local human and material resources.
According to SMEDAN DG, the Agency decided to get involved in this market due to the sizeable vehicle market in Nigeria and the associated technological know-how. Their capacity to use the equipment they will be provided will be improved thanks to the training they have received.
He urged the beneficiaries to put the knowledge they had learned during the training to good use, saying it is crucial to realize that technology is the future of every industry.
He added that “as the Agency of the federal government established to ensure the sustainable growth and development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sub-sector of the economy, SMEDAN has initiated and is implementing several programs/projects to achieve the mandate. Such programs and projects are expected to grow the number of MSMEs from the present 39 million while equally increasing the number of MSMEs employments from the present 61 million.”
According to Fasanya, over 85% of vehicles imported into Nigeria each year are classified as either accident-damaged or used vehicles, which has serious implications for maintenance. He also noted that the progressive application of research findings to the development and manufacture of vehicles has shifted emphasis away from the customary manual system of diagnosing automobile issues.
He added that there is no doubt that there are several incompetent mechanics all over Nigeria causing more damages to the vehicles, saying that “it is in the Agency’s quest to add value to the automobile service industry that we initiated the mechatronics training.”
