A’Ibom amateur technicians stun the world with models of heavy-duty automobiles

By Abasifreke Effiong

AKWA IBOM – Recently, social media platforms were awash with a video of a-15 year old amateur technician from Akwa Ibom State, demonstrating a model of an excavator he fabricated. The video attracted the attention of big companies, notably, Mantrac Nigeria Caterpillar Company and the BBC. Our correspondent tracked the 15 years old Idorenyin Robert to a workshop, where he and other kids are trained on fabrication of models of heavy-duty automobiles, by Harold Linus Bassey, an alumnus of the Akwa Ibom State Government owned Technical College, Ewet, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Harold is in his late 20s. He resides in an old two rooms block-house in Urua Ekpa Street, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. On Harold’s living is a window in the front lobby; three glass louvers have broken out from the window-frame. The louvers were probably broken a long time ago. Harold uses the old design Nigerian blinds to shade the room from direct ray of the sun and strong wind. His house is about 1500 meters from the University of Uyo town campus.

Harold has designed and fabricated models of heavy-duty automobiles including, excavator, grader, wheelloader and dumpster. He uses scraps, plywood, aluminium sheets, CD motor and syringes fix his models to his specification. The exciting thing about his models is that they can excavate, grade, rotate, move, like the real machines.

Harold and his trainees are working on more ambitious projects next year.
“By next year, we are trying our hands on flying machines. We want to fabricate aircraft and drones. That is our target.”

He also intends to raise money to produce toy cars for children.

“I am hoping we will be able raise money to begin to produce toy cars for children, the kind you see in toy shops and malls. I can produce that and put them on sale.”
Harold did an A’level programme at Kwara State University in 2017. He is currently preparing to start an online programme called Technicians for Africa run by Caterpillar University.

“I am waiting for Idorenyin (one of his trainees), so that we can start an online specialised course for Technicians in Africa. The programme was introduced to us by Mantrac Nigeria Caterpillar Company.”

“The company got to us after they were tagged in a video done by BBC, where Idorenyin was demonstrating our excavator. The company gave us a laptop to run the programme.”

He said though the programme is free, they will have to source for money to buy data, get electricity, do assignments and exams.

He could not say exactly what the future holds for him and Idorenyin, after the programme. “The company did not say they will employ us after the programme. They only said when we are done, they will know the way forward.”

No one has given him or his trainees any substantial assistance, yet he is resolute and optimistic above the future.

A week ago in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, we met Caleb Otoabasi Etim, a-15 year old JSS 2 student of Community Secondary School, Itu, whom Harold has trained on automobile fabrication. Caleb was displaying one of the models, an excavator, along IBB way, Uyo. On Saturday, 31st August, when The Apex team visited Caleb, Harold granted him permission to take us to their workshop where he demonstrated how some of the equipment they have fabricated work.

Caleb has been trained for a year now, but he seems to have already mastered the sophistication of the design and fabrication of models of all the heavy-duty automobiles including excavator, wheelloader, grader, and dumpster, which were displayed in the workshop.

In this small workshop of about 4 by10 feet, great dreams, artistry and crafts which wow everyone are moulded. It is in that workshop that globally celebrated automobile wizkid, Idorenyin Robert, was trained. The workshop which was formerly a chicken coop, has no tool which is as sophisticated as the models that are fabricated in it. Nevertheless, it houses people with sophisticated ideas.

Two small tables, a locker, a crosscut hand saw hung on the wall and a J-S FACOM plastic and iron tool box, were the basic tools that adorn the workshop.

On the right flank of the wall of the workshop is the word “Hope”, written on. “Hope” is also written on the dumpster, one of the models in the workshop. This was what Caleb said of the word: “Hope is our company name. We have it in our minds that someday, someone will take us to a better place, that’s why we chose ‘hope’.”

These amateur technicians are pushing on, obviously by sheer hope. They do not know where help to actualise their tall dreams would come. They do not know where they can get money from to buy a length of plywood, CD motors, packs of syringe, shoe cork and leather to fabricate their next model. They hope people will appreciate their models when they go to town to display them.
Caleb said they spend about N25,000 to purchase the materials they used to fabricate an excavator.

“Our parents are not rich. We don’t have money. What we do is to take the things we have made to traffic-light and show it to people; when people appreciate it, we use that money to buy materials.”

This is how they hope to raise money for their next projects, fabricating an aircraft and a drone.
When Caleb was asked if the aircraft and drone they intend to fabricate will fly, he said, yes.

“It will fly. We will do a wireless remote and power it with a wet-cell battery. Then, we will use CD motor to propel it.”

Caleb’s trainer, Harold, is also training 12 years old Ebuka Oke Ogbonna, on making models of houses. Ebuka can construct nice models of different types of houses, but he needs to be trained on mechanical and architectural drawings.

“Now I’m teaching him models, he will have to enroll in a technical college to learn mechanical and architectural drawings. He won’t understand those strictly professional aspect yet; he is still very young for that. So, I encourage him to enroll in a college for further studies”, Harold said.

Harold is seeking support for his works and sponsorship to enable him and his trainees attend the World Youth Skills Day, in Lagos, holding on 15th July 2020. Harold is from Ikot Obio Atai, Itu Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.