By kehinde Emmanuel, iilorin
Rector of Kwara State Polytechnic, Alhaji Mashood Elelu has called for vocational and Technical Education for the girl child towards building a sustainable economy for the Nation.
Elelu made the call in an address delivered at the opening of Women in Technical Education and Employment (WITED), National Coordinating Committee (NCC) meeting in Ilorin on Wednesday.
The Rector said the Federal Government has set up a committee for skills competition for girl-child across the country to build the capacity of women to manage their home properly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the WITED NCC meeting was holding at the Kwara State Polytechnic.
Elelu explained that women play an important role in the labour economy, hence the need for the women to have quality education for them to function properly in the society.
He enjoined members of WITED to use the opportunity available to them to improve the welfare of women in terms of providing quality information that would be useful to their career.
The Rector said the Polytechnic was ready to partner women societies like National Association of Women Societies in developing capacity of girl child.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of WITED, Dr (Princess) Regina Ada Amadi noted that the association was formed majorly to better the lots of women in Technical Education sub-sector to contribute to the National growth.
She noted that no meaningful development could take place in any nation of the world without Vocational and Technical education.WITED National Coordinator said there was the need to collaborate with the relevant stakeholders in technical education sector for development of women folk.
In her welcome address, WITED Coordinator at the State Polytechnic, Mrs Adijat Bukola Aiyelabegan commended the Rector, who is also the Chairman, committee of Heads of Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology (CHEADS) for hosting the meeting.
Aiyelabegan said WITED mandate is to identify and control those factors which inhibit the participation of the girl child in science, Technical and vocational education training programmes at all levels in Nigeria.
She added that the WITED activities includes, mentoring and advocacy in primary and secondary schools for female children who have the flair for science, technical and vocational subjects.
“WITED activities includes organising conferences, workshops and symposia, seminars and health talks, debates and quiz competition on science subjects for secondary school girls.
“Today, WITED exists in about 50 Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology across Nigeria.
“Coordinators of the various chapters constitute the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) which is the national implementation and intervention team monitoring the actualization of WITED mandate,” she added.
