THE National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has taken steps to improve the acquisition of software development skills for automobile design in the automobile industry.

Speaking in Abuja during the training program organized by NADDC in collaboration with Midas IT Co. of South Korea, the Managing Director of NADDC, Mr. Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin, disclosed that the training of some engineers on the camp The Midas NFX software automotive design skills training was designed by the Council to address the billion dollars lost by the country due to the importation of vehicle components.

“The country spends more than a billion dollars on imported spare parts every year. This massive spending highlights the urgent need for local production capacity and advanced design training to reduce dependence on foreign imports and boost economic growth,” he said.

The CEO highlighted that the automotive aftermarket represents a significant economic opportunity and that harnessing local talent to design and manufacture components such as batteries, brake pads, lubricants and filters could stimulate job creation and improve self-sufficiency.

He urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to develop their skills for the sake of the industry and their personal growth.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of FAZSAL Nigeria Limited, Dr. Abdullawal Zubair, commended the NADDC boss for creating the platform and opportunity to train the participants.

“The DG has provided this department with sufficient tools. You have a 3D scanner, a 3D printer, so you can print or produce anything because the 3D scanner you have is the best in the world,” he said.

As part of this strategic effort by the Council, approximately 24 participants were to be trained, with a target of training 100 engineers over the next year, with the initiative aimed at equipping local assemblers and manufacturers with essential knowledge bridging the gap between theory and practice.

The training aims to strengthen local expertise and pave the way for the development of locally produced spare parts, thereby saving the country a significant amount of foreign exchange.