FG moves to build vocational hubs, entrepreneurship centres in tertiary institutions

The Federal Government has announced plans to build 24 skill and vocational hubs in polytechnics as well as entrepreneurship centres in universities. The government is also reviving 970 Shanghai centres for integrated learning and development of Almajiri in the country. 

This was disclosed by Tahir Mamman, minister of education, on Saturday at the 38th Convocation of the Bayero University, Kano (BUK).  He said the current government will continue to support all aspects of education with keen focus on skills, technology and vocational education. 

“We are also building 91 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.

“Our universities are centres of learning that need to upscale and adjust to the modern day world by repositioning themselves as citadel of education that will bring about development. As a government we are also determined in our effort to continue to support the upgrade of infrastructure, teaching materials, research equipment in our universities, which the need assessment of Nigeria’s public universities is addressing,” he said. 

He added that the current administration is also committed to ensuring the universities are strengthened and reinvigorated to fulfill their mandates through research by increasing the allocation to the educational sector in our preparation for the year 2024 and the operationalisation of the students loan scheme.

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“All these are expected to reposition the tertiary institutions for a greater performance and productivity. The Federal Executive Council recently approved the guidelines for good governance and adherence to financial regulations, hence IPPS. Universities are strongly advised to heed to those guidelines as serious consequences will apply to any breach.

“Universities are therefore expected to define their roles and carve out a niche for themselves by designing program that will assist government in poverty reduction, creating employment opportunities, health promotion, application of new technologies in the advancement of knowledge and prosperity, protecting the environment, promoting sustainable development as well as sustaining democracy and good governance. Without missing out on the quest towards the attainment of global sustainable development goals. 

“The Universities are strongly advised or encouraged to run industries to develop their research output into products for our community. Community engagements should be in the forefront of the activities to make universities relevant.

On its part the government has taken steps to provide power to universities through compressed natural gas. To this effect, the ministry of education together with the ministry of gas have been directed to work out this facility so that universities could have continuous uninterrupted supply of power for their research and general services.

At this juncture let me commend members of the university management and the Senate for the harmonious relationship that has allowed peace, law and order to reign in the university. We are confident that the Universities will attain greater heights in the years to come,” he said.