By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Anambra State Government in Collaboration with Electric Vehicle Automobiles Limited, has commenced a three-day free training and empowerment of over 1,000 transport operators and other stakeholders on electric vehicle skills.

The three-day training programme which is being executed through the state Ministry of Transport started on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka and will end on Saturday, September 19.

According to the Commissioner for Transport, Edward Ibuzo, the programme is designed to equip participants with skills relevant to the emerging electric vehicle industry

Ibuzo who declared the training workshop open on behalf of the State government, said the programme will also help reduce quest for white collar job among Anambra residents.

He said: "The programme is part of the state government’s efforts to promote the transition to clean fuels for automobiles and prepare transport stakeholders for the growing adoption of electric vehicles in the World.

“The major aim of the programme is to train the participants on how to be acquinted with the electric vehicle skills for self-growth and growth of others.

He hailed the company for falling in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of making Anambra a clean, digitalized, smart, lovable and a prosperous state in Nigeria come 2070.

Earlier in his welcome speech, the executive manager of EV automobile limited, Mr Obiora Okafor, said the sensitization training workshop was necessary to enable every Anambra resident acquire knowledge and get acquinted with the electric vehicle skills, noting that the World is gradually switching from petroleum engine vehicle model to electrical devices.

He said: "What we are doing here today is very important because in the next ten years everyone will be forced to switch to electric vehicle amidst continued rise in petroleum products, particularly in Nigeria.

“The electric vehicles are manufactured at affordable price with 20-years guarantee of its batteries and brake pads.

“We must look at what is happening in China and leverage on it to develop our dear country.

“It is a dream of EV automobile limited to push the use of electric vehicles in Nigeria and the Africa continent as a whole.

“The electric vehicles, if fully understood, will make life easier for our people amidst persistent fuel increase, which is why we have mapped out arrangement to carry out the sensitization exercise across the 36 states of Nigeria, Okafor noted.

He however commended the Anambra State government for the collaboration.