A Brazzaville-based Nigerian Mechanical Engineer, Kayode Afolabi, has called for collaboration among critical stakeholders: the federal government, industrialists, and educational institutions in tackling the influx of used and smuggled vehicles undermining the growth of the local automotive industry.
Afolabi, an expert in Automotive Maintenance, Transportation Planning and Management, stated this in an interview in Lagos, on Thursday, while speaking on the challenges facing automotive engineering in Nigeria. The expert stated that addressing the influx of smuggled vehicles is crucial to bolster the local industry.
“The influx of smuggling and counterfeit vehicles undermines demand for locally assembled cars and poses a threat to the local industry,’’ he said.
The engineer said that among other challenges hindering the growth and development of automotive engineering were the high cost of establishing and maintaining assembly plants, regulations, access to finance, inadequate infrastructure, economic instability, talent shortages, cybersecurity threats and limited local content.
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He also noted that quality and properly functioning catalytic converters would help vehicle owners comply with emission regulations, significantly reduce vehicle emissions, improve air quality, minimise pollutants, and enhance public health.
Afolabi, who is a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers; Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Society of Automotive Engineers, U.S; urged the government to provide standard garages for maintenance, noting that most garages were poorly laid out, generating waste that had significant impact on the environment to tackle the challenge facing automotive engineering.
“Lack of adequate technical skills of the roadside mechanics, high rate of repeated repairs, increasing cost of maintenance to customers, inadequate access to modern diagnostic tools to aid repairs, as well as lack of periodic training and validation, as repairs were still carried out using the old methods.
“Poor customer handling and management leading to litigations. Inadequate government funding and policy, slowing the progress of local assembling and production of vehicles,s were challenges hindering automotive engineering,’’ he said.
The engineer urged the government to support mechanical artisans with a loan scheme to purchase modern diagnostic tools at a lower rate to increase repair quality.
Afolabi further spoke on the use of catalytic converters to reduce vehicle emissions, noting that it was a major contributor to air pollution in urban areas.
“Catalytic Converter is a device in a vehicle converter exhaust system that reduces harmful emissions by converting them into less toxic substances. It is designed to minimise pollutants released to the atmosphere.
“I did a study on the failure of catalytic converters in automotive emission control in Lagos State, aimed at identifying key factors contributing to this issue and developing recommendations for improvement.
“I discovered that some of the causes of Catalytic Converter failure include contamination. engine oil, coolant or unburned fuel can enter the converter due to engine issues, reducing its efficiency.
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“Overheating, which means that excessive heat can damage the catalyst substrate, impairing its ability to convert harmful gases; and physical damage, which means that road debris or accidents can cause dents, cracks, or dislocation of internal components.
“Also, fuel imbalance, which means that rich or lean fuel mixtures can disrupt the converter’s chemical reactions as well as age and wear, which means that normal wear and tear can degrade the converter’s performance over time,’’ he explained.
The engineer said that findings from the study could inform strategies to improve catalytic converter performance and reduce transportation environmental pollution.
He, however, said that effective catalytic converters could impact environmental pollution by improving air quality, minimising pollutants, contributing to a cleaner environment, bettering public health, as well as helping vehicle owners to comply with emission regulations.
He added that the causes of Catalytic Converter failure were substandard fuel, weak government regulation and enforcement, among other factors.
The research, he said, gained him the professional recognition leading to the award of Certificate of Excellence by the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
