Automotive policy to bolster sector’s growth – Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, ‎has said the national automotive policy will help to accelerate growth in the sector when fully implemented.

Dr. Ngige noted that the policy will bolster backward integration, diversification, revitalize the automotive industry, generate both direct and indirect employment, alleviate poverty, and create wealth.

The minister, was represented by Wole Shadow at the Automobile, Boatyards, Transport Equipment, Allied Senior Staff Association (AUTOBATE) Extra Triennial National Delegate Conference in Lagos, tagged “The National Automobile Policy: What does the future hold for workers?”

According to Ngige, the automobile industry plays both strategic and catalytic role in economic development, particularly in employment creation and wealth generation. “The automotive policy is a right step in the right direction.”

“It is in the light of the foregoing that I enjoin all to support the government at all levels in general in the fight against unemployment in all ramifications through robust union policies, observance of due process and strict adherence to trade disputes act in the settlement of industrial disputes.

Speaking earlier, the ‎Chairman of the occasion, Comrade Sunday Salako, represented by Comrade Yekeen Shittu said the industry will create significant good quality employment and a wide range of technologically advanced manufacturing opportunities.

”This industrial base can then form the foundation of other modern advanced manufacturing activities. For example, commercial vehicle, production will lead to the manufacture of agriculture, mining and railway equipment, military hardware, and transport.”

“The policy can be more beneficial only if it can focus on dominating a certain part of the automotive industry, a part that is preferably labour intensive and one that the general population will have a natural advantage in. The tyre manufacturing part of the industry is the most likely candidate. It is relatively labour intensive. We have a natural advantage in the sense that we have a local rubber industry. It is a relatively simple process without the need for massive technology transfer.”

The National President of AUTOBATE, Comrade Edeki Osumah, said, ‎”Our proposed programmatic approach to building the future of AUTOBATE. The first is to dedicate a large trunk of our budget to programmatic education. We will make sure that in every major meeting of the union, an educative programme is ensued. This will help in arming the leaders of the union in intellectual and programmatic approach to labour and political education. Also, we will decentralize our education programmes to the branch and the factory level to make sure our educational policy is robust and grass rooted.”

“Our target majorly in organizing is to reach three-quarters of our organizing ratio. We are at a less than average percentage now, and this is not good for us considering the expected boom in the industry where over 22 Motor Assemblies have been registered, and the Auto policy seems so promising. It is so gospel to us that our secretariat has been up and doing in engaging with the tenets and tits bits of the policy. And creditably, we sit atop of the opinion moulding when it comes to the adoption and implementation of the Auto Policy‎, “he said.