Cross River Targets Youth Jobs With Electric Vehicle Skills Programme
By ETETE EKONG
THE Federal Government and Cross River State have expanded a joint electric vehicle skills programme to cover 1,000 youths.
The programme will train participants in electric vehicle repairs, maintenance, recycling and other technical services linked to the emerging sector.
Dr. Kalita Aruku, Chairman of the Cross River State Youth Empowerment Scheme, announced the development in Calabar on Wednesday.
According to Aruku, the programme initially targeted only 100 beneficiaries. However, the authorities increased the number to 1,000 after receiving strong demand for the training.
The expansion reflects the growing need for technicians who can support electric mobility as more electric vehicles enter the Nigerian market.
Selected participants will receive six months of training. The Federal Government will provide stipends during the period, while the state government will make facilities available for the programme.
The authorities selected the beneficiaries from more than 5,000 applicants across Cross River’s 18 Local Government Areas. Aruku said the process ensured representation from the different council areas.
At the same time, the government gave preference to applicants with experience or knowledge in engineering, automobile mechanics, electronics and related technical disciplines.
The decision, he explained, would give participants a technical foundation for specialised electric vehicle training.
Cross River is also working to provide the infrastructure needed to support the initiative. The state is identifying training locations, including facilities in Calabar, while plans are underway to establish a dedicated electric vehicle workshop.
The workshop would serve another important purpose. It would help the state maintain its expanding fleet of electric vehicles.
Cross River has acquired about 500 electric tricycles and 200 electric motorcycles. Its investment also includes 10 50-seater electric buses, 20 14-seater electric buses and about 100 electric saloon cars.
Some of these vehicles have already been deployed across the state. As a result, the government considers technical manpower essential to maintaining the fleet and expanding electric mobility.
The training could therefore serve both an employment and infrastructure purpose. While participants gain specialised skills, the state would develop a local workforce capable of servicing its electric transport investments.
More broadly, the programme could help Cross River prepare for a gradual shift towards cleaner transportation. It also gives young people an opportunity to enter an emerging technical field before the sector becomes more established.
Aruku said the initiative would ultimately help Cross River build the manpower needed to support the electric vehicle industry and strengthen the state’s position in Nigeria’s transition towards sustainable mobility.
