Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called for more emphasis on vocational and technical education to equip young Nigerians with practical skills for employment and self-reliance.
Fubara made the call on Wednesday at an event in Rumuola, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The governor said the country’s focus on certificates and degrees, without enough attention to practical skills, has contributed to unemployment and poor economic growth.
He said Nigeria needs to return to the idea of the 6-3-3-4 education system, which was designed to give students vocational and technical skills based on their abilities and interests.
Fubara said students should be able to acquire useful skills before leaving secondary school and use them to create jobs or become self-employed.
He said polytechnics were established to help people with technical abilities develop their skills and contribute to society.
“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”, he said.
The governor said entrepreneurship centres are intended to help students develop practical skills that can make them employers of labour rather than job seekers after graduation.
Fubara stated that technological changes have made it important for educational institutions to prepare young people for the demands of the modern workplace.