Fubara advocates shift to vocational, technical education

By Daniel Abia, P/Harcourt

PORT HARCOURT — Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has advocated a strategic shift towards Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) in Nigeria’s educational curriculum, saying overemphasis on paper qualifications at the expense of technical expertise and practical skills is a major driver of unemployment and economic stagnation.

Fubara stated this on Wednesday while commissioning three major infrastructure projects at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The governor said that if Rivers State, and Nigeria by extension, must prepare its youths for the challenges of the 21st century, deliberate and consistent efforts must be made to realign the educational curriculum towards vocational and technical education, with emphasis on practical skills for self-employment and job creation.

Fubara recalled that the 6-3-3-4 education system adopted by Nigeria in the 1980s was designed to prepare young Nigerians for the future through vocational and technical education at the secondary school level.

He said that under the programme, students were expected to pursue further education at either polytechnics or universities, depending on their capacities, talents and skills.

According to him, by the completion of the first three years of secondary school, a student should have acquired a skill, trade or craft and could become self-employed.

He lamented that over the years, the country appeared to have deviated from that vision, with young people becoming increasingly obsessed with acquiring certificates and degrees without the skills and competencies required in the modern labour market.

“The Polytechnic system was designed in such a way that if you’re gifted with your hands; if you’re a technical person, you can go there and learn more, build your skills so that you can add value to our society.

“But you know that somehow, our society doesn’t attach much importance to those level of people. So even when you know that you can’t survive the rigours of academic work, you struggle to complete the six years, go into a university and come out with a degree that is not useful. That is part of the problem we are having in our society,” he said.

The governor explained that the Entrepreneurship Centre at the polytechnic was established to provide young people with relevant skills that would enable them become employers of labour after graduation, rather than job seekers.

Fubara reaffirmed his administration’s focus on developmental projects that would create opportunities and address societal challenges.

“So for us as a government, what is important to us is not just about embarking on projects but executing projects that will touch the lives of the people; projects that will solve problems and projects that will bring advancement to our lives.

“Today, technology has taken over everything. So if we have to prepare our youths; if we have to prepare our dear state, for the challenges ahead, our educational programmes have to be very strategic,” he said.

Fubara charged the school authorities, students and members of the community to safeguard the facilities and equipment against theft and vandalism, urging them to take ownership of the infrastructure rather than treating them as “government property.”

He also urged residents of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area to embrace the new wave of peace in the state, stressing that political stability remained a key condition for development.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peter Nwagor, who gave a presentation on the projects, said one component involved the construction and complete furnishing of two one-storey buildings housing classrooms, workshops, staff quarters and administrative wings for the School of Engineering and the Entrepreneurship Centre.

According to him, each building spans approximately 1,940 square metres and comprises eight halls, 14 staff offices and 22 toilet facilities, with fully air-conditioned spaces equipped for practical training.

He said the third project, the Governing Council Building, was initiated by the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike but completed and fully furnished by the Fubara administration.

The Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr Moses Neebee, described the projects as historic landmarks on the institution’s landscape.

According to Neebee, the Entrepreneurship Centre and the other projects represent some of the most significant developments on the campus in nearly two decades.

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