Fubara: Nigeria Must Prioritise Technical Skills Over Paper Qualifications

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s education system towards Vocational and Technical Education (VTE), saying the country’s overreliance on paper qualifications at the expense of practical skills is fuelling unemployment and undermining economic growth.

Fubara, who spoke in Port Harcourt, stressed the need to equip young Nigerians with technical and vocational competencies that would enhance employability, entrepreneurship and productivity, arguing that a skills-driven education system was critical to addressing the nation’s economic challenges.

Governor Fubara made the advocacy Wednesday, during the inauguration of three major infrastructure projects at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

The governor said that if Rivers State and by extension, Nigeria must prepare her youths for the challenges of the 21st Century, deliberate and consistent efforts must be made to realign the curriculum with vocational and technical education focused on practical skills for self employment and job creation.

Governor Fubara recalled that the 6-3-3-4 educational system, which Nigeria adopted in the1980s, was designed to prepare young Nigerians for the future through VTE at the secondary school level. 

He said that under the programme, students were expected to advance their educational pursuits to either the polytechnics or universities depending on their capacities, talents and skills at a young age. 

According to him, at the completion of the first three three years of secondary school, a student should have acquired a skill, trade or craft and could become self employed.  

He lamented that over the years, the country appears to have deviated from that noble vision and young people have become so obsessed with acquiring certificates and degrees without skills and competencies relevant to  the present day labour market. 

“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. But you know that somehow, our society don’t attach much importance to those level of people. 

“So even when you know that you can’t survive the rigours of academic works, you put your head, struggle to make sure you complete the six years, jump into one university, and come out with one degree that is not useful. That is part of the problem we are having in our society,” he said.

The governor explained that the idea behind the Entrepreneurship Centre project at Elechi Amadi Polytechnic is to have a place where  young people can be groomed with relevant skills that could lead them to become employers of labour on graduation, instead of job seekers. 

Governor Fubara reaffirmed his administration’s focus on developmental projects that will create opportunities and   solve problems of the society.

“So for us as a government, what is important to us is not just about embarking on projects but executing projects that will touch the lives of the people; projects that will solve problems and projects that will bring advancement to our lives.

“Today, technology has taken over everything. So if we have to prepare our youths; if we have to prepare our dear state, for the challenge ahead, our educational programmes have to be very strategic,” he said.

Governor Fubara charged the school authorities, students and the entire community to safeguard the facilities and equipment against  theft and vandalism, adding that they should take ownership of the infrastructure instead of treating them as “government property”.

He emphasised the need for the people of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area to embrace the new wave of peace in the state, stressing that political stability remained a primary condition for development.

The state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peter Nwagor, who gave a brief presentation on the projects, said one aspect entailed the construction and complete furnishing of two units of one-story buildings housing classrooms, workshops, staff quarters, and administrative wings for the School of Engineering and the Entrepreneurship Centre.

Each building spans approximately 1,940 square metres, featuring eight halls, 14 staff offices, 22 toilet facilities, and fully air-conditioned spaces equipped for practical training.

The third project, the Governing Council Building, was started by the Nyesom Wike administration but completed and fully furnished by the Fubara-led administration.

The Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr. Moses Neebee, hailed the legacy projects describing them  as  historic landmarks on the school’s landscape.

According to Neebee, the Entrepreneurship Centre and other projects were some of the  major developments on the campus in nearly two decades.