Kester delivers 563rd UI inaugural lecture

Prof. Kehinde Oluwaseun Kester of the Department of Adult Education, University of Ibadan, has delivered the institution’s latest inaugural lecture, the 563rd edition in the history of the Ivory Tower.

Prof. Kester, in his lecture held on Thursday, 10 October 2024, and presided over by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kayode Adewale, noted that the periodic updating and upgrading of nation builders’ skills across all sectors of the economy are fundamental to the growth and development of the nation.

Speaking to the theme of the inaugural lecture entitled ‘Thou Shall Sharpen Thy Tools’, Kester, a Professor of Industrial Education, declared that the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has brought about the need for every worker in Nigeria, and globally, to continually update and upgrade their skills, abilities, and competencies to remain relevant and competitive in the labour market.

He stated that the only means of making Nigerian workers adaptive and innovative in response to the challenges and opportunities provided by Industry 4.0 is through training and retraining.

He emphasised that training is an essential part of human resource development, which would help guarantee employees’ performance and productivity, while simultaneously creating competitive advantages for organisations in an increasingly unfavourable business environment within the context of the industry.

He asserted that it is the continuous improvement of Nigerian workers’ skills, abilities, and competencies in this era of rapid technological disruption and evolving job requirements that will guarantee enhanced employee performance and increased productivity across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.

According to him, this situation justifies the need for training and retraining programmes that can support the development of a future-ready workforce capable of withstanding the rapidly evolving work structures and systems driven by emerging technologies.

In his recommendations, Prof. Kester suggested that Nigerian organisations must incorporate training into their corporate culture, aligning it with their organisational strategies and objectives.

He also urged all employers to improve funding for training in all sectors, mandating 2 percent of the annual payroll for both public and private organisations, while requiring employees and unions to contribute to development.

He further called on the federal government to establish a tax-based fund similar to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), where high-profit-making organisations contribute a percentage of their annual profits to workforce training and development.

He noted that training should be given higher status as a full-fledged department in every Nigerian organisation to ensure that employee training is not left to chance.

Prof. Kester also recommended the establishment of an employment observatory inventory for all organisations to regularly assess skills gaps, identify existing or anticipated deficiencies, and enhance the effectiveness of training needs assessments.

The event had in attendance the principal officers of the university, heads of departments, directors from the Faculty of Education, and other distinguished Nigerians from all walks of life.

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