Human beings from creation, were made to believe that the only way forward in life to frantic development in all ramifications is through creative imagination. Though, if you want to be close to nature, and perhaps appreciate its endowed loaded responsibility accruing to man and humanity,  then you need to improve on your daily level of thinking, positive awareness and consciousness.Therefore, the concept, technical vocational education and training (TVET) is a means through which one can conveniently and convincingly improve on his or her creative imaginations and level of positive awareness as to achieve its positive potential capacities in life, with the high functional manipulative skills of the three domains of learning. In addition to the above, technical vocational education and training (TVET) has helped to create new league of technologies, discoveries, life-changing breakthroughs and new ways of doing things.
In fact, education is the only formal means through which man’s cultural heritage as well as occupational skills could be transmitted from one generation to another. Nevertheless, in every defined traditional African society, the purpose of education is to enable the individual to become functional member of the society, to give training and re-retraining as well as improve the necessary skills leading to the production of craftsmen, technicians and other skilled manpower personnel who will be enterprising and self-reliant. Of a truth, no nation can develop without efficient harnessing of her resources (human and material) and putting them into appropriate use, for maximum productivity.
Moreso, education has always been seen as a tool that enables the individual to become a functional member of the society and has almost and always served as an instrument for elevating people from one level to the next, and equally enabling them contribute more meaningfully to the development of their communities, state and nations.The idea of technical/vocational education and training (TVET) is to change and improve our youths in apprenticeship programmes as to enable them acquire the skills necessary to become proficient in a trade, craft or a profession under the tutelage of a master. This kind of programme will increase the country’s human resources for effective utilization of the available natural resources.
However, professing industrialization is an aspect of economic development. This can be achieved by making almost seventy percent (70%) of our youths to enroll into courses that will lead to the acquisition of technical/vocational skills in our tertiary institutions of higher learning.Certainly, graduates of any technical related course are expected to be trained and re-trained by their employers to drive-out the potentials deposited in them by GOD Almighty that will help them to balance effectively in their individuals world of work.
Indeed, USA and all other developed countries of the world attained high level of infrastructural development and advancement through the proper application of the theories and practice of technical vocational education and training (TVET) in their research and development scheme of events.Moreso, even some of the software developers and computer system as well as internet information technologist, like William Bill-Gates of America, Lawrence Jellison of Callifonia, Steve jobs of USA, Carlos Slim of Mexico and a USA-based Nigerian-born Philip Emeagwali, the list is endless, had made it in life through the proper usage and application of technical vocational education and training (TVET) in all spheres of human endeavour.
As a matter of fact, this idea of technical vocational education and training (TVET) should be seen by every well-meaning Nigerian as a major means of our industrial and socio-economic break-through.Every individual who understands the psychology and philosophy of TVET should try as much as possible to reach out to people by preaching it like gospel within and outside our environment, pointing out more of the practical application of the philosophy of TVET to the entire populace. This is true because, this crop of men that TVET had produced have seriously propelled industrial tremendous development and technological advancement of their nation to its barest minimum positively.
According to John F. Kennedy of USA, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. He went further to say, that “when you stop contributing to your environment, you are no longer living, but merely existing. Nevertheless, Nigeria took off the race of socio-industrial revolution long time ago, but we are still crawling in terms of socio-industrial economic development up till now, because of lack of proper implementation of our policies, which is what is making it to move at a very slow rate. Sincerely speaking, it is often said that, if someone wants to know how to dance very well, he/she will watch how good dancers throw their legs and swing their hands, or put their dancing steps during dancing.
Which implies that, if the developed countries of the world have attained the level they are now enjoying today through the proper application of TVET theories and practices, Nigeria through the efforts of individuals, NGOs, companies and government agencies alike etc can be developed through the same way by applying working TVET and proper implementations of policies ever made to the positive consumption of the populace. On this note, Proper TVET application therefore, leads to self-reliance and actualisation, adequate investment in your future life, bringing out of God deposited potentials in people, blessings designed by God for our destiny, technological development and advancement and economic boom and stability of individuals and that of the country.
Inspite of the above fact, Nigeria began its journey to initiate, acquire and stabilize sound socio-economic and industrial revolution foundations so early, but the problem of poor leadership and bad governance which have eaten very deep into the fabrics of a very mature  and bad Nigerian citizen have collectively robbed the nation of diverse opportunities to progress to the next level. Specifically put, corruption has been a major bane of the nation’s development. And it is only natural that the nation turns a new leaf today by jettisoning those vices that have worked to scuttle efforts to advance Nigeria’s development paradigm and conscientiously implement policies that focus on Technical/Vocational Education And Training (TVET),  which is a tool in accelerating socio-industrial development and equally boosting and sustaining Nigerian economy, if properly embraced will automatically lead to permanent development of the country’s economy.
All well-meaning Nigerians, individuals, NGOs, companies and government agencies, who have the country’s interest at heart have to embrace the idea, as to enhance the philosophy of TVET and its applications, so that Nigeria can be grouped among the developed countries of the world in the next five years.

By: Rogers Odoi
Odoi wrote  from Nsukka.