The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Ayede, Oyo State, Engr. Dr. Taofeek Adekunle Abdul-Hameed (FNSE), has urged Polytechnics across Africa to focus on training students on Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development(SAED) programmes.
Engr. Abdul-Hameed said this during a conference sponsored by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund) in conjunction with Gambia University, held recently at Cocoa Ocean Hotel Beach, Gambia.
He reiterated that the curriculum of the Polytechnics should be structured to focus on skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training that are capable of igniting the potential of students for maximum productivity.
According to him, over-reliance on paper qualifications in the past had failed to address the real needs of many graduates from polytechnics in Africa.
“We must be innovative, intentional and flexible in our curriculum in order to strengthen the entrepreneurship aspect of the curriculum.
“Focus on skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training will ultimately serve as a catalyst for employment generation. Many polytechnic graduates are being left behind in the labour market due to a system that prioritises certificates over practical knowledge.
“It is expected that a polytechnic graduate, at the end of studies, will tend towards job creators rather than job seekers,” he said.
Engr. Abdul-Hameed lauded Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for aligning with President Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda through several initiatives geared towards development of skilled workforce to drive economic growth and innovation thereby contributing to Nigeria’s prosperity.
He commended the TETFund under the leadership of Arc. Sonny Echono, for providing support for the programmes that would strengthen vocational and technical education in Nigeria with a focus on training and modern facilities.
The Rector also appreciated the efforts of the Executive Secretary(ES), National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, for his efforts towards repositioning vocational and technical education through industry-aligned curricula which has been fostering innovation and technological progress in Nigeria.
Other participants at the conference include the Vice Chancellor, Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB), Prof. Buratai; Dean of the Faculty of Social Science NAUB, Prof. Kolawole Subair and the Registrar NAUB, Brig.-Gen. Abdulhamid among others.
