It could be recalled that sometime ago, precisely on 3rd September 2018, the Nigerian Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari graciously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the German Volkswagen Group with a view to developing an automobile hub in the country.

The two countries involved, Nigeria and Germany, were reportedly to come up with an enabling policy framework on the proposed project.

It’s noteworthy that under the bilateral arrangement, the automobile firm is expected to implement a phased approach in relation to assembly of vehicles down to positioning the nation as an automobile hub in the entire West Africa region.

Lest I forget, in regard to vehicles’ assemblage as mentioned in the pact, the government must take into cognizance that there’s a need to go the extra mile towards reviving the country’s dying pride if they are really ready to invest in the said sector.

As we might have forgotten in haste, it’s highly imperative to recall that some of these vehicles – particularly Peugeot products – were previously being assembled in Nigeria but the lofty activity has now regrettably gone into moribund.

This, therefore, implies that the FG is required to look inwards with a view to resuscitating and boosting the aforesaid practice, which is currently considered as a lost glory. In a bid for an automobile hub, they must make frantic efforts to reawaken the seeming dead foundation.

The pact equally includes raising a training academy in conjunction with the German government with the sole aim of equipping the upcoming pioneer employees of the impending industry with requisite skills as well as imbuing them with the needed industrial qualities.

Definitely, establishing an academy to train the indigenous prospective workers that would kick start the hub is a welcome development. It’s thus needless to state that the MOU included the key recipe with regard to the awaited industry.

However, the bitter truth is that such an approach is liable to collapse on arrival if the stakeholders involved failed to consider the essential factors required for its functionality. Hence, the parties in charge of the initiative must leave no stone unturned towards doing the needful.

It’s similarly pertinent for the government to acknowledge that such an academy deserves to be sustained in the long run. In view of this idea, the institute shouldn’t be utilized only in the case of the ‘pioneer employees’. Thus, it ought to be retained with a view to training subsequent intakes as well as upgrading the skills of those already absorbed in the system.

Recalling other clauses contained in the pact, it’s worthy of note that the FG on its part is to ensure that the Nigerian Automotive Policy, which is currently under consideration, gets a speedy approval from the apt quarters. The policy, though still in the pipeline, includes the gradual transition from the importation of used cars to the manufacturing and distribution of new passenger vehicles.

It’s not anymore news that overtime issues regarding policies have bedeviled most of the activities taking place in the country. Acknowledgement of this recurring decimal indicates that the concerned stakeholders are required to go extra mile in their move to ensure that the lofty motive of the FG is duly actualized.

It’s on this premise that I suggest the authorities involved painstakingly consider all the needed parameters as they prepare the policy. Every required factor, ranging from setting up the hub, training academy, in-service workshop/training, to working incentives cum environment, must be holistically looked into so that nothing absolutely would be missing in the process.

It’s really saddening to note that three years down the line after the pronouncement, nothing tangible has been done by the relevant authorities to walk the talk. Hence, the government must comprehend that the citizenry are seriously looking up to them.

The legislators need to be duly lobbied in a quest to witness a healthy deliberation as regards the needed legislation. In his words, an Adviser in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Bisi Daniels disclosed that the government was committed to providing a conducive legislative environment for the production of automobiles in the country.

I deem it fit to advise that such a commitment must be fully put into action if the FG is truly determined to create an industry where Nigerians as a people could boast of production of automobile machines that can be presented as well as used anywhere in the world.

As regards the sealed deal, the Minister of the said ministry, Dr. Okechukwu Emelamah strongly affirmed that the MOU was a major step in the FG’s quest for a robust automotive industry in the country, hence assured that the government was damn prepared to achieve the tech-driven objective.

The gospel truth is that everything centres on the political will that accompanies the quest. Against this backdrop, for the tour in question to arrive at the desired destination, the government must not claim ignorance of the fact that what’s primarily of importance at this point is to support the recently embarked journey with the required will.

This is actually the time for the government to genuinely support the already existing private-owned automobile hubs in Nigeria, such as the Innoson Motors and what have you, in a bid to ensure they excel in their respective activities that’s targeted to boost the country’s economy.

Inter alia, for a thorough emergence and sustenance of the industry in question, the country’s education sector must also be involved. Hence, our technically-inclined students need to be brought closer to realities. It’s appalling and pathetic to understand that our teeming graduates in the field of Mechanical Engineering and allied disciplines cannot present the mechanisms that constitute main parts of an automobile let alone manufacturing them.

It’s no longer news that in recent times, successive governments had made various worthwhile and commendable moves but in the long run, ended up not actualizing the object of the initiative, owing to their inability to accompany the approach with candid practical steps.

As Nigerians anxiously await the new era, it’s inconsequential to remind the government that it’s expected to make a difference by acting differently.

As the race for the office of Nigerian president heats on, many more Nigerians are declaring interest to occupy the most important office in the world’s most popular black nation.

The latest person to join the race is the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi. In his declaration on Saturday, the two-term former governor of Rivers State said he will use his years of experience in public service to tackle Nigeria’s spiraling problems.

Read the full statement below:

THE DECLARATION Forward with Courage

Fellow Nigerians, I stand before you today to declare my intention and submit my application to serve as your next President. I did not come to this decision lightly. I have served our nation for the last seven years as Minister of Transportation. For 8 years before that, I served as Governor of Rivers State.

In the preceding eight years before that, I was Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. These 23 years of service have equipped me not only with great experience in governance and public service but also compassion for the ordinary citizens of our dear country.

After more than two decades in the public arena, I had wanted to go on holiday and spend more time with my family before charting a new course outside politics. But at 56, and a member of the generation born after independence who has seen the good, the bad and the ugly of Nigeria, I am compelled by the urgency of our present challenges to place my experience & proven capacity at the service of the nation at the highest level.

Those who know me can testify that I have always been a straight talker. This trait has not always made me popular, but I speak truth with conviction. So, allow me to speak the truth here today. We are facing some very serious challenges as a country. These are problems of insecurity, challenges of greater accountability in governance, youth unemployment and the scourge of spiraling poverty.  These problems are however not the exclusive preserve of Nigeria.

We live in a troubled world. The reality we used to know has altered in nearly every nation. Climate change has brought about food scarcity in some places. Population explosion has produced unusual pressure on resources and supplies. Poverty has become a challenge all over the world especially in the developing world. The Covid crisis has placed unanticipated burdens on the budgets of nations and put pressure on available resources. Trans-border crises have erupted in unusual places and placed the internal security of many nations under pressure.

We are part of the Sahel, an area of the world that is subject to frequent terrorist attacks. Let us look at our current challenges as part & consequences of these global trends. I admit that Nigeria’s problems did not begin today. And they will not be solved overnight but they are not beyond the capacity of our people to solve. Fortunately, that process has already started. There is an ancient proverb that “a society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they’ll never sit.”

The current administration under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has planted many such trees in Nigeria’s future. We have invested billions in infrastructure, human capital development & made reforms that will pay off over time in terms of socio-economic growth and stability. We have invested heavily in projects and initiatives that will secure a brighter, better future for Nigeria. I am proud to have been part of this success story. It has been an honour overseeing the Ministry of Transportation in reviving the moribund railways, and working tirelessly to create an integrated national transportation system that will positively impact our economy, trade, employment, business, and national cohesion.

Have we achieved everything we set out to do? Off-course not. Could we have done more undoubtedly, there is always room for improvement. On reflection, the notion of running for President would have been far beyond the imagination of the young lad running around the streets of Diobu or our small compound in Ubima. Not to talk of the young indigent student… leader, mobilizing peers at the University of Port Harcourt. But my aspiration is not about fulfilling any personal ambition. I am contesting for office because I believe that it is my moral duty to give what I can in the service of my country.

To sustain and intensify present efforts at solving our national problems, our democracy must ensure the emergence of a leadership that is equipped with broad experience in governance to ensure stability and continuity. To sustain our democracy and preserve our unity, we need a steady hand and a passion for success in a nation that remains united to pursue prosperity for all Nigerians. It is this combination of experience and patriotic passion that I bring to the table. I have been in the political arena for 23 years.

I have served at every level of government – local, state, and federal. I have served both as a political appointee and an elected official. I have served both as an executive – as Governor of Rivers State and as a legislator – as Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

In these capacities, I did not just fill vacant posts. As a Speaker, I managed the legislative process in a difficult transition from military rule. As Governor, I defeated mercantile militancy and restored security. As a minister, I can modestly claim to have justified the trust f Nigerians. I do not come from a privileged background. I grew up poor. I understand how it feels to go without some meals in a day. I know the pain of lack and the agony of want. I know what it means to see your parents toil just to keep a roof over your family’s head.

I know what it is to feel the weight of expectation when you are are the only one in your family who enjoys the opportunity to attend university. Subsequently, I funded the education of my siblings to be university graduates as well. I know what it is to scrimp & save & struggle. In spite of all odds, I have journeyed to this point. I could not have come this far without my parents, Fidelis, & Mary, who sacrificed so much for me. I could not have come this far without the support of my siblings. I could not have come this far without the mentors, friends and sponsors who have believed in me. I could not have come this far without the precious wife of my youth and my best friend, Judith, and my children who mean everything to me. I could not have come this far without the support of Dr. Peter Odili and his wife.

I could not have come this far without the support of Chief Rufus Ada-George. Neither could I have come this far without the support of President Muhammadu Buhari. Above all, I could not have come this far without the Grace of God. The next leg of my political journey will be tough. But I am excited to go out and engage with Nigerians from every walk of life. I am ready to go from Maiduguri to Makurdi, from Sokoto to Sagbama, from Yola to Oyo, from Badagry to Birnin Kebbi. To each town and village, I will have one message: Hope is around the corner.

I look forward to meeting you in your towns, villages, cities, campuses, and creeks. I want to hear your desires, needs and pains. I want to know what matters most to you. I want to listen and learn. I will be coming with one assurance: I will be welcome everywhere because the blood of every Nigerian flow in my veins. I shall be the president of all and every Nigerian. I believe that despite our cultural differences, we remain one people under God.

We may speak different languages or worship in different ways, but we all want the same things – a better life for our children, the ability to support our families, the freedom to live in peace without fear for our lives or properties. I have never been the type who folds his arms and complains about inadequacies I see around me. I have always jumped in with both feet to do whatever I can to help, to try and bring relief to those suffering, to work to make things right where I see wrong.

If you elect me as your President, I promise to play my part to the best of my ability. Every day I will rise and go to work for you. I will never forget the fact that I am there to serve you. Today, I stand as an aspirant to the position of President because of that same passion for people; that same drive for results. More than ever before, I am burning with the zeal to make a decisive difference in the lives of all Nigerians. No matter the darts and arrows that come my way, I will remain steadfast because the stakes are too high.

We cannot afford to fail. We cannot afford to veer off-course. I pledge my heart, mind and soul to the task of building a Nigeria in which every child can go to school, every young person can find work or support to start a business, every citizen can travel safely around the country and sleep at night knowing that law and order prevails and every Nigerian feels included, heard, and respected. The road ahead will be long and arduous. But we go forward with faith. Forward with courage. Forward with compassion. Forward with hope.

Forward with pride for who we are as a people and who we are yet to become. The future is bright because of YOU. God bless you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI.