Jabi Mechanics village: A creative hub for nation artisans

By okwo romeon

The dwindling electricity supply within Abuja city is putting residents on their toes to provide alternative power for themselves and depend less on the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

AEDC’s power supply and distribution is at its lowest ebb at the moment of even at this hot and humid season.

For instance, statistics from the Centre for Management Development, revealed that an estimated 60 million Nigerians spent about N1.6tn on generators annually due to the low output from from the power sector over the years.

However, the implication of this huge expenditure according to experts is that there are huge business opportunities in the repair and maintenance of generators, as adequate power supply is one of the prerequisite to boost nation development.

Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory and seat of power over the years has become the nation’s brain box for policy development, implementation as well as enforcement.

With the above position, it is expected that the capital city will be free from factors bedeviling power supply in the country compared to the rest of the state but that is not the case.

Jabi mechanic village is a sub-hub in the nation capital, where all kind of automotive repairs are carried on and also serve as a depot for new and fairly used heavy duty generator sets both for rent and sale for Nigerians that cannot afford the new brand sets.

Within the last few weekends, Abuja residents were seen here in their numbers trying to fixed their generators as they are sure of having reliable power supply from AEDC.

Some were there also to rent generator sets for their events.

From all indications, it seem the power supply in the city is getting worse and with hot season in the corner, Nigerians have decided to generate power for themselves, regardless of the high cost of diesel prices in the market and the biting economic crouch.

There you will met artisans who are commonly referred to as ‘generators engineers or mechanics’, specialists in the repairs and services of all kind of generator sets such as Siemens, ABB, Schneider, Raycham Philip and KNX

Activities here remind one of Ogba, Ikeja services station of Maikano in Lagos State, the commercial nerve center of the country.

Jabi Mechanic village provides you a workable place to resolve all your auto mechanics challenges with less amount compared to their competitors in the formal settings.

Apart from service rendered by these artisans, the Jabi mechanics’ village is fast becoming a hub for youths who seeking to undergo training in automotive mechanical repairs as well as many other skills in the automobile industry.

Most youths there seek to acquire automotive repair skills, due to practical experience being impart by the trainers mostly through apprenticeship arrangements.

It was gathered that about fifty to hundreds of undergraduates from Polytechnic and other institutions are there undergoing various practicals.

Emmanuel Adeyemi is one of such persons, according him he is student of one the federal polytechnic in the north and he is here for a six months SWISS program, popularly known as Industrial Training (It).

Asked why he choosed to do his practicals there,he said ,”it is the practicality of learning here; here one can practicalise everything thought in school, you see it physically demonstrated here and since I came here I want to say it has helped me to understand my courses.

Many like Emmanuel are enjoying the benefits of this hub created by young spirited Nigerian mechanics whose expertise is in high demand.

Although their business is not without challenges, as the constant harassment by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) personnel’s hampered some of their businesses while some have collapsed.

Unfortunately, the promise by the Federal Capital Development Authority to provide them a permanent site over the years has not seen the light of the day.

Mayowa Oni Is the owner of Prince Global Technical works Services who also operates within the Jabi Mechanic village, a sole entrepreneur with over fifteen apprentices and trainees in his workshop.

He offers generator repair services. His business has witnessed a lot of patronage by residents over the years. When I enquired about the secrets of sustaining his business and why he is enjoying patronage from any agency of the government for the training he is providing for the young Nigerians,

According to Mr Oni,I don’t think I have enjoyed anything of such from the government,as I speak,we have trained about fifty apprentices in the past five years and still counting.
Our challenges is the threat by this scavengers (Me Bola) around our area and the exploitation by some government agencies not minding the services we are providing,so I think,we will be happy if at all government can come to help.
Mr Oni reiterated government failure to provide them enabling environment and say they are passing through many challenges since they are all by themselves

Mr. Mayowa enterprise is witnessing a robust patronage’s as his clients includes notable brands in Abuja like the Chelsea and Agura hotels in the hospitality industries and many private construction companies.

Many like Mr Maiyewa are contributing positively to the economy development of this country using their hard end skills which they are hardly recognized.it will be fine ,if the National Directorate of Empowerment(NDE) will do more by tracking these type of people and partners with them for greater skills development.

For Mr James Oteyi is also auto Mechanic for almost fifteen years,he want the Federal Capital development authorities (FCDA) to provide them a pernanent site just like the Delta state government has built a Mechanic auto park in Asaba with the help of Private Partnerships Program (PPP) so that a common Nigerian can own a workshop here in Abuja.
According to Oteyi,the constant hassement been faced by the them can reduce if the government will fulfill its promises to them of the site allocations they had promised them in the years past.

For Mr Kayode Ayeni is a nozzle Injector specialist,he believes the government have a lots to do in promoting SMEs in the country.he is of the opinion that if government can also give them their permanent site,the association will be expand on it SME because all the students that re coming for training here will now have a formal ways of their engage men and that will go a long in boosting the skills capacity of the youths in the country.
He called on the federal government to fixed the power sector in other to boost business in the country.

The Jabi Mechanic village is a cluster of different artisans within the city center that are providing essentials services to the residents of the Abuja.