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By S. Adamu, Sokoto
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday reinvented his campaigns agenda focus reassuring his drive to prioritize skills, technology, and vocational education to create for more job opportunities for citizens.
The purposeful drive he explained would be braced by establishing skills and innovation hubs in polytechnics and entrepreneurship centres across the country.
Tinubu said at the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st combined convocation ceremony for 22,932 graduands at Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto .
The President represented by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, also disclosed that his administration will review upward funding to public Universities in the country while pledging support to all aspects of education.
He said education remain a top priority of his government adding that “We strongly believe that our survival can always be assured by the qualities of human capital development which is why we make education one of the top priorities of this administration”
He stated that his administration will lay more emphasis on skills, technology, and vocational education as co-drivers of the educational system.
” This is what can prepare graduates for employment or better fulfilled as employers of labour”, he pointed out and for that , he said , ” the first phase of the programme, government is building 24 skill and vocational hubs in polytechnics as well as entrepreneurship centres in our universities.
“We are also building vocational schools in secondary schools across the country to ensure that all levels of education enjoy the impact of our policy.
“We are set to inaugurate Private Sector Innovation Enterprise Centre across the country to deliver on the skill acquisition program of the government.”
However, the President said his government remain determined in it effort to consistently support the upgrade of infrastructure, teaching materials, and research equipment in our universities, which the need assessment of Nigeria’s public universities is addressing.
” Thus the lifting of the tertiary institutions from the IPPS platform of research, the increase of allocation to the educational sector in our preparation for the year 2024, and the operationalization of the student loan scheme others”, while assuring that students would soon access the students loan as directed by Mr president.
Tinubu urged the graduands to optimally utilize the knowledge and the skills they acquired for self development and over all benefits of the nation as he also tasked universities to redefine their roles and carve a niche by designing programmes that would optimally drive purposeful vision for nation ‘s prosperity.
Earlier the vice chancellor of the University, Prof Bilbis Suleiman Lawal thanked the president for his contribution for the development of the University.
He explained that the University , has done well in area of infrastructural development and research.
Eminent Nigerians including the Emir of Bichi, HRH Nasiru Ado Bayero , Prof Toyin Falola and others received honorary degrees.
