The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to urgently complete and put into operation key automotive development projects in Sokoto State, warning that continued delays are wasting public resources and denying youths economic opportunities.

The resolution followed a motion presented on Wednesday by Sokoto lawmaker Abdussamad Dasuki.

Dasuki drew the attention of the House to stalled projects initiated under the National Automotive Design and Development Council.

The council, established under Act No. 83 of 2014 and supervised by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, is responsible for promoting Nigeria’s automotive sector through the National Automotive Industry Development Plan.

The policy was introduced to reduce dependence on imported vehicles, encourage local manufacturing, and build technical skills through industrial training and infrastructure.

As part of that strategy, automotive service hubs and training centres were established in several parts of the country to support vehicle maintenance, diagnostics, component testing, and workforce development.

Dasuki said Sokoto State benefited from two such projects located in Dogondaji and Bodinga.

He, however, lamented that the Bodinga Automotive Service Hub, completed and handed over to the Federal Government in March 2023 at a cost of over ₦1 billion, has remained non-operational.

He also criticised the abandonment of the Dogondaji Automotive Youth Training Centre, which was designed to equip young people with practical technical skills.

According to him, neglecting the projects defeats the purpose of the national automotive policy and prevents residents from accessing jobs and business opportunities.

“The continued neglect of the projects undermines the objectives of the national automotive policy, denies citizens economic opportunities, and risks the deterioration of critical infrastructure,” he said.

After adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment and the National Automotive Design and Development Council to ensure the immediate completion of the Dogondaji training centre.

Lawmakers also demanded the prompt operationalisation of the Bodinga Automotive Service Hub so that youths, artisans, and automotive service providers in Sokoto State can benefit from the facility.

In addition, the House directed its Committee on Commerce to inspect both projects, investigate the reasons for the delay and abandonment, and report back within four weeks for possible further legislative action.