As part of measures to reposition Technical Education and reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country, the Federal Government and the World Bank have organized a workshop in Makurdi the Benue state capital to enhance Nigeria’s skills development for formal and informal sectors of the Nation’s economy.
The Director Press, Federal Ministry of Education, Ben. Bem Goong disclosed this in a statement on Monday, July 18, 2022.
He explained that the workshop was put together under the World Bank sponsored project “Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS)”, adding that it has the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education, Abia, Edo, Ekiti, Benue, Gombe, and Kano States as implementing Agencies.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the National Project Coordinator, Mrs Blessing Ogwu, at the opening ceremony told stakeholders that the essence of the IDEAS project was to address the current deficiencies in the education system that made a large number of school leavers unemployed.
He therefore, urged Nigerian youths to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the project.
According to the Minister, an estimated 40 Technical colleges in the country, alongside the private sector will benefit from the project which also has a technical teacher training component.
The Minister revealed that a Two Hundred Million Dollar ($200 million) credit facility from the world Bank had been approved for the project which implementation will span over a five year period.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Benue state commissioner for education, Dr. Saawuan Tarnongu commended the world Bank, Federal Ministry of education and other stakeholders for organising the workshop, pledging the total support and commitment of the Government and good people of Benue state towards the successful implementation of the project.
As part of its commitment, the commissioner said, Governor Samuel Ortom has approved the recruitment of science and technical teachers as well as the erection of perimeter fences for all the colleges selected for the project in the state.
On his part, the state coordinator of IDEAS project, Samuel Kwende told participants that the training of key players in the chain of the implementation process was a prerequisite for the overall success of the project.
