Education
TVET Remains A Veritable Pathway To Success – Minister
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has averred that Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) remains a veritable pathway to success among students and undergraduates in the country.
Adamu stated this at a workshop with the theme, “ Developing A Proper Institutional Strategic Plans’ organised by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in partnership with PaceSet Associates in Abuja.
Declaring the workshop open, Adamu noted with dismay the rising spate of unemployment in the country, maintaining that enrolling students into technical and vocational education courses remained the sure way of tracing the path of personal and national growth.
Represented by the Director, Tertiary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Iiyasu Rakya, Adamu regretted that many young Nigerians after graduation remained either unemployed or underemployed with little or no skills to contribute to their economic development as well as the country, maintaining that the gap would be bridged by technical and vocational education.
Adamu said”, TVET institutions are responsible for implementing programmes that equip students with the relevant skills and competences to meet the needs of the labour market”.
“ In all, Nigeria has a total number of 171 technical colleges, 108 polytechnics, 61 monotechnics, 98 Vocational Enterprise Institutes(VEIs), and 150 Innovation Enterprise Institutions, equipping learners with technical and vocational skills through formal and non formal channels”, he said.
The minister however identified low perception among others as one of the biggest challenges facing the TVET and stressed the need for this challenge as well as others be addressed in order to reverse the trend thereby repositioning TVET for national growth.
Some students of the Government Crafts and Vocational Development centre, Port Harcourt, expressed joy over the impact of the school on them in this economic-crisis period, revealing that their acquired skills had given them a slight economic landing as against their counterparts in other schools.
They further called on the government to give attention to the needs of the centre in terms of materials, equipment and amenities for their total growth and development.
By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, emphasised the need for students to go beyond academic achievements during the university’s 43rd Convocation ceremony.
The theme, “The University Culture In Practice, The IAUE Experience,” highlights the importance of embracing cherished traditions and intellectual values that define great universities.
Prof. Onuchuku encouraged the new graduates to work hard and persevere, noting that their convocation marks a new beginning in their careers and personal lives. He emphasised that they must prove themselves worthy of the certificates and prizes they have received.
According to him, out of 2,887 first-degree graduands, four made First Class, 403 secured Second Class Upper, 2,030 got Second Class Lower, and 450 graduated with Third Class. Additionally, 1,492 postgraduate students graduated, including 306 PhD holders.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), praised the university’s commitment to academic excellence and institutional maturity. He commended the Acting Vice Chancellor for achieving full accreditation for 47 academic programmes and implementing the NUC’s Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards.
The administrator urged the new graduates to uphold the positive values instilled in them by the university and strive for continuous knowledge and improvement.
By: King Onunwor
The Niger Delta Students Union Government, Rivers State Chapter (NIDSUG), has suspended its planned protest against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) state office in Port Harcourt. The suspension followed an intervention by the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju.
The students had planned to protest on Thursday, citing alleged neglect by the NDDC, particularly in welfare and capacity-building programmes for students from the state. However, after the police intervention, the students agreed to participate in a roundtable discussion with the commission to address their concerns.
NIDSUG leader, Comrade Loveday Njoku, expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s alleged exclusion of students from benefiting from its programmes. He presented a seven-point demand, including the reintroduction of scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Njoku emphasised that education is crucial for community development and urged the commission to invest in the future leaders of the state.
The students warned that if their demands are not met, they will resume the protest and occupy the state commission office until their demands are addressed. Despite previous attempts to reach out to the commission’s management team, the students claimed their efforts were unsuccessful.
By: Akujobi Amadi
As part of efforts to improve the welfare and overall quality of education for students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the Sole Administrator, Sir (Dr.) Clifford Ndu Walter DSSRS, FCAI, JP, paid an unscheduled visit to Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi.
During the visit, Sir Walter expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of the school and its surrounding environment. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the development of the education sector, stressing its critical role in nation-building.
“I have visited the primary school in Ogbogoro, and now I’m here at the Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi. I am not satisfied with what I’ve seen,” he stated, indicating that more surprise visits to schools would follow.
To address the issues, the Sole Administrator directed the Council Engineer to commence process for rehabilitation of the school.
The visit was part of a broader initiative aimed at conducting on-the-spot assessments of educational facilities to determine the level of intervention required by the local government council.
Dr. Walter also assured the teachers of his unwavering commitment to revamp the school and improve the learning environment for both staff and students.