Mbah Advocates Vocational Education to Tackle Rising Unemployment in Nigeria

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has said there is urgent need to massively invest in vocational education in order to tackle the rising wave of unemployment in Nigeria.

Mbah made this known yesterday during the South East and South South Interregional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) forum organized by the Science, Technical and Vocational Schools Management Board (STVSMB), Enugu State Chapter with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

In his address, Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State government, Chidiebere Onyia, said the need for technical and vocational education that is not only relevant but also responsive in the labour market demand has become even more critical now.

“Across the regions, there is growing recognition that traditional academic pathways alone cannot address the employment needs of our growing youth population,” he said.

The governor said the theme of the summit, ‘From Classroom to Careers: Revolutionizing Technical Education for Regional Prosperity’ is both critical and timely, especially given the growing rate of youth unemployment in the country.

“In Enugu State, we are committed to technical education and we have since embarked on the construction of technical schools across the three federal constituencies in the state,” he said.

In a keynote address, Director of the Catholic Institute of Development, Justice and Peace (CIDJAP), Enugu, Prof. Obiora Ike, said that every year, thousands of students who graduate from universities are not assured of jobs because they do not have on-demand skills they need to be productive in the labour market. 

He regretted that while there has been too much talk about technical education, there has been less action, noting “we must reimagine how we prepare our youth for the work ahead by bridging the gap between education and industry”.

On her part, Executive Secretary of STVSMB, Amaka Ngene, urged participants to engage meaningfully, share their experiences and forge partnerships that will drive meaningful change and economic prosperity across the regions.