The Federal Government said on Saturday that it would soon launch a new education strategy, 2016 to 2020, to serve as a guiding framework for transforming the sector.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, stated at the 32nd combined convocation and Diamond Jubilee ceremony of the Kaduna Polytechnic that the strategy would inspire efforts to bring the capacity of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems to levels where they could respond to multiple demands.
“The aim is to give access to affordable and quality technical and vocational education and training for the acquisition of technical and vocational skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
“The Federal Government has identified the relevance of polytechnic education in the country’s socio-economic development and is aware of the big gully between the non-formal technical education and the formal TVET.
“Our conviction is that the national vocational framework will integrate the non-formal sector of vocational trade with the formal TVET for maximum result and impact,’’ he said.
Adamu described education as “a veritable tool for the growth and development of any nation,’’ adding that all hands must be on deck for the country to be rated high in the comity of nations.
The minister, represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr Masa’udu Kazaure, called on well-meaning Nigerians, the private sector and non-governmental organisations to support the government in funding the sector.
The minister equally urged the graduates to contribute their quota in stirring the country in the right direction and place it on the shoes of excellence in technology, high morals and unquestionable integrity.
“You must strive to leave your footsteps on the sand of time and make remarkable contributions to the development of this great nation,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Gov Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State stressed that no country would move forward without technical education.
El-Rufai said that Nigeria needed technical manpower with sound innovation, creativity and the ability to take risk in entrepreneurship to move the nation to greater heights.
He said that the current administration was aware of the myriad of challenges affecting the sector, adding that plans are underway to improve investment in the sector to put it on the right path.
