Industrial or technical education has been described as the pivot that can drive the nation’s economy.

Head, Mechanical Engineering Department, Government Craft Development Centre, Port Harcourt, Mr Emeka Uzuah who stated this in an interview Friday with The Tide in Port Harcourt said it has become imperative for the states and the Federal Government to invest in technical or industrial education.

Mr Uzuah who frowned at the concentration of attention in grammar or secondary schools across the country advised government at all levels to also pay attention to technical schools.

He particularly urged the government to embark on massive training of technical teachers both locally and abroad so that they could teach and also train more technical teachers in the society.

The HOD who lauded the Rivers State Government for signing agreement with a German firm on the running of vocational schools in the state said the step was in the right direction.

He, however, want the state government to go further by building model technical schools as it did to the primary and secondary schools in the state.

He explained that with standard technical schools fitted with modern facilities and manpower, the state would be on the track to industrialisation.

Mr Uzuah also urged the multinationals, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other organisations involved in training skills to partner with the government in building and equipping technical colleges, remarking that by so doing, most of the fund used in skills acquisition programmes would be properly harnessed.

“If our technical colleges are properly equipped, we can train the manpower that can sustain the state and even Nigeria”, he said.