Nasarawa procures N300m equipment to kick-start vocational educational institute

GOVERNOR Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State says his administration has procured equipment worth N300 million to commence the operation of a newly established vocational institute in the state.

Al-Makura stated this in Lafia on Monday while receiving a delegation from the Institute of Technical Education in Singapore who would install and train indigenes on how to operate the equipment.

According to the governor, the equipment, imported in 25 containers, had been cleared and were now at the Government House ready for installation and use at the institute located in the state capital, Lafia.

“The vocational trainings to be offered by the institute will not only offer jobs to our youths, it will also make them employers of labour.”

Al-Makura explained that the training institute would consist six vocational departments – Electrical, Electronics, Plumbing, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Bio-Medical Technology and Building Technology.

“The electrical section will train students to be electricians, while the electronics department will focus on technological gadgets. We also have the plumbing department which will teach students on how to handle all plumbing jobs.

“That of Bio Medical Technology will train our youths on how to handle hospital medical equipments like operating theatre machines, radiography machines among others.

“Building Technology department is dedicated to offering students the knowledge on how to supervise building sites of any kind. These are some of the trainings the institute will offer when it kicks off,” he said.

Al-Makura said the training would be for two years and that about 1,000 youths across the state would be admitted each year to learn different vocational skills offered by the institute.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr Chong Choon-Leong, Director of the Institute on Africa and Latin America, explained that they were in the state to do an on sight survey, instal equipment and train people.