The House of Representatives is currently deliberating on a bill aimed at creating vocational training centres across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Naijaonpoint reports that the chairman of the Committee on Alternative Education, Ibrahim Al-Mustapha, addressed a public hearing regarding the proposed legislation, along with seven associated bills, in Abuja on Thursday.
He emphasised the importance of providing young people with essential skills in today’s rapidly evolving world, influenced by technological advancements.
The creation of these centres represents not merely a policy initiative but a dedication to the future of our country, Al-Mustapha remarked.
“It is common knowledge that vocational training and entrepreneurial skill acquisition are a foundation and catalyst to the growth of nations like Nigeria, as her economy depends on the contributions of this vital sector.
“Nigeria, by any standard, is well endowed with a youthful population readily available to acquire vocational training and entrepreneurial skills and use the same for self-reliance and nation building.
“The fact that our vocational and entrepreneurial skill acquisition sector has not translated into a desirable outcome has remained a concern,” the lawmaker stated.
The lawmaker for the Aba North/South federal constituency in Abia, Alex Ikwechegh, has urged the allocation of funds for the current vocational centres, emphasising that numerous centres are presently lacking adequate funding and are unable to operate at their maximum capacity.
Another lawmaker from Abia, Ginger Onwusibe, endorsed Ikwechegh’s perspective but contended that in certain local government areas, other institutions may take precedence over vocational centres.
“Let us critically look at it and see the workability and fit it into the area that needs it,” Onwusibe said.
On his part, a legislator from Ogun state, Olatunji Akinosi, described the bill as “one of the most important bills this 10th assembly.”
“Before now, Nigerians have attached so much importance to having certificates. The countries we have tried to emulate do not have this kind of system. Your technical worth makes so much importance to them,” Akinosi said.
Olatunji contended that Nigeria’s focus on academic certificates obstructs national advancement, pointing out that developed nations such as China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany prioritise technical skills rather than mere paper qualifications.
The legislator further stated that Nigeria ought to redirect its attention from credentials to practical abilities.