Auto painter wants governments to exploit business potentials

A Kaduna-based automobile painter, Mr. Abiodun Babatunde, yesterday called on governments at all levels to exploit the huge potential in automobile painting to get the youths gainfully employed.

Babatunde, who paints cars at Dawn Garage, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that automobile painting was a “gold mine for job creation.”

He said it was possible for a car painter to make about N500,000 monthly if he or she took the work seriously.

The automobile painter said the trade, if well tapped, could take thousands of idle youths off the streets.

“The huge volume of cars plying Nigerian roads is a ready market with enough space for millions of youths to tap from the lucrative trade.

“I get an average of five cars daily for complete painting at an average cost of N50,000 per car, which takes me two weeks to finish, depending on the level of body work required.

“This is in addition to an average of seven cars brought to my garage daily for light touches, which cost between N3,000 to N5,000.

“All in all, I am smiling to the bank with about N500,000 monthly. This is more than what a permanent secretary in some states gets as monthly salary,’’ Babatunde said.

According to him, since he started the business, he has trained three youths who have set up their own painting garages and are making huge money.

He added that nine apprentices were currently undergoing training and would soon graduate.

The painter, who said he had been in the business for 12 years, said it took him six years to learn the trade.

He added that with the advancement in technology, it would take three years to train one person provided the person was eager and determined to learn.

Babatunde also urged the Federal and state governments to partner with organized painters to train thousands of unemployed youths in the country.

“Demand for automobile painting services is huge because trained painters are very few in the country. So, there is a huge gap that needs to be filled,’’ he added.