President Bola Tinubu said his administration will prioritise skills, technology, and vocational education to create more job opportunities in the country.
He stated that he is establishing skills and innovation hubs in polytechnics as well as entrepreneurship centres across the country.
The President stated this during the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st convocation ceremonies for over 22,000 graduands at Usman DanFodio University, Sokoto.
Represented by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Tinubu also hinted that his government will increase funding to public Universities in the country.
In his words, “We strongly believe that our survival can always be assured by the qualities of human capital development, which is why we make education one of the top priorities of this administration.”
While supporting all aspects of education, this administration will lay more emphasis on skills, technology, and vocational education as co-drivers of the educational system that prepares graduates for employment or better fulfilled as employers of labour.
“For this purpose, in the first phase of the programme, the government is building 24 skill and vocational hubs in polytechnics as well as entrepreneurship centres in our universities.
“We are also building vocational schools in secondary schools across the country to ensure that all levels of education enjoy the impact of our policy.
“We are set to inaugurate a private sector innovation enterprise centre across the country to deliver on the skill acquisition program of the government.
“As a government, we are also determined in our effort to continue to support the upgrade of infrastructure, teaching materials, and research equipment in our universities, which the need assessment of Nigeria’s public universities is addressing.”
As part of the administration’s commitment to ensuring the universities are strengthened and reinvigorated for the fulfilment of their mandate, hence the lifting of the tertiary institutions from the IPPS platform of research, the increase of allocation to the educational sector in our preparation for the year 2024, and the operationalization of the student loan scheme others.
He maintained that students will soon access the student loan as directed by Mr president.
“Universities are therefore expected to define their roles and carve out a niche for themselves by designing programmes that will assist the government in poverty reduction, creating employment opportunities, health promotion, the application of new technologies in the advancement of knowledge and prosperity, protecting the environment, promoting sustainable development, as well as sustaining democracy and good governance. Without missing out on the quest towards the attainment of global sustainable development goals.
“The universities are strongly advised or encouraged to run industries to develop their research output into products for our community,” the president stated.
The president urged the graduands to optimally utilise the knowledge and the skills they acquired for self-development and overall benefits of the nation.
Earlier the vice chancellor of the University, Prof Bilbis Suleiman Lawal thanked the president for his contribution to the development of the University.
He explained that the University has done well in the area of infrastructural development and research.
In his remarks, Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, who is an alumnus of the school pledged to construct boreholes and hostel accommodations for the school.
He also promised to visit his former faculty, (management) in the next two weeks to discuss what he can do to assist the faculty for the benefit of the current students.
Eminent Nigerians including the Emir of Bichi, HRH Nasiru Adobayero, Prof Toyin Falola and others received honorary degrees.
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