TOYOTA NIGERIA SUPPORTS AUTOMOBILE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

L - R: Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo Managing Director, Toyota (Nigeria) Limited presenting Parts to the representative of Mechanical Engineering Dept., University of Lagos, Dr. Ojolo, while Mrs Funmi Akingbagbohun, Chairman NIMechE, Lagos Chapter and National Chairman of NIMechE, Engr. Ugochukwu Nzurumike, look on.

At the recent 2016 public lecture and awards of the Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), Lagos Chapter, themed “Shoring the national GDP through automotive manufacturing, sales and management” Toyota (Nigeria) Limited again demonstrated its commitment to the growth of the local vehicle assembling when the company donated parts worth over N10, 000,000 to the department of Mechanical and Automobile Engineering in some higher Institutions in Nigeria. Parts donated include brainboxes, silencers, pistons, bumpers etc.

Explaining the vision behind this gesture, the Managing Director of TNL, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, who also won an Award at the event, said the parts donation is geared towards enhancing the technical capacity of Students in order to make them competitive in the global market and to prepare them for the automobile industry in Nigeria. As a mechanical engineer himself, he explained that the exposure of students to the practical aspect of the course is a primary ingredient in their nurturing to be excellent engineers.

The donation therefore is a response to the request of some institution for assistance in the provision of contemporary equipment to help them mould confident and competent students in line with current global standards. He added that this donation is the first phase of the company’s resolve to contribute its quota to the capacity building of Automobile Engineering students across Nigeria towards harvesting competent engineers.

The beneficiaries were University of Lagos. Akoka, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos State University Ojoo, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, Covenant University Ota, Bells University, Ota, Ogun State Institute of Science & Technology, Igbesa, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye and Federal University of agriculture Abeokuta.

Receiving the parts from the MD who was also the Special Guest of Honour at the event, the schools expressed their appreciation for the donation, describing it as a welcome development particularly at these austere times when funding of university programmes is getting increasingly difficult. They promised to put them to good use and for the purpose they were donated.

The Chairman, NIMechE, Lagos Chapter, Engr. (Mrs). Funmi Akingbagbohun expressed deep appreciation for the magnanimity of Toyota (Nigeria) Limited and also promised that she will ensure that the Institutions put the parts to good use towards achieving the objectives and vision behind the donation.

The Chairman of the occasion and the National Chairman of NIMechE, Engr. Ugochukwu Nzurumike, showered encomiums on Toyota (Nigeria) limited and encouraging other big organisations to emulate TNL’s gesture.