Fubara Advocates Vocational Education Reform to Tackle

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called for a major vocational education reform in Nigeria, insisting that greater emphasis on technical skills and practical training is necessary to reduce unemployment and drive economic growth.

Key Highlights

• Governor Fubara says Nigeria’s education system must prioritise vocational and technical skills.
• He blames excessive focus on certificates without practical competence for rising unemployment.
• Says technical education can produce entrepreneurs and job creators.
• Inaugurates engineering school facilities, entrepreneurship centre and governing council building.
• Urges students and residents to protect public infrastructure from vandalism.

Fubara made the call on Wednesday during the inauguration of three major infrastructure projects at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The governor said Nigeria must deliberately realign its educational curriculum with vocational and technical education if the country hopes to prepare young people for the demands of the 21st-century economy.

According to him, practical skills development will empower youths for self-employment, entrepreneurship and job creation.

Fubara recalled that the 6-3-3-4 education system introduced in Nigeria in the 1980s was designed to expose students to vocational training at the secondary school level while allowing them to progress to either polytechnics or universities based on their abilities and interests.

He explained that after the first three years of secondary education, students were expected to have acquired a skill, trade or craft that could enable them to become self-reliant.

However, the governor expressed concern that the country had gradually moved away from that vision, with many young Nigerians now focused mainly on obtaining academic certificates without developing the skills required in today’s labour market.

“The Polytechnic system was designed in such a way that if you are gifted with your hands, if you are a technical person, you can go there and learn more, build your skills so that you can add value to our society,” Fubara said.

He added that societal attitudes towards technical education had contributed to the decline in interest among young people seeking practical careers.

Entrepreneurship Centre to Create Job Creators

Fubara said the newly inaugurated Entrepreneurship Centre at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic was designed to equip students and young people with skills that would enable them to become employers of labour rather than job seekers after graduation.

He said his administration was focused on executing projects that address societal challenges and create opportunities for residents.

“What is important to us is not just about embarking on projects but executing projects that will touch the lives of the people, projects that will solve problems and projects that will bring advancement to our lives,” he said.

The governor noted that rapid technological advancement had made it necessary for educational programmes to become more strategic and aligned with modern economic realities.

“Today, technology has taken over everything. So if we have to prepare our youths, if we have to prepare our dear state for the challenge ahead, our educational programmes have to be very strategic,” he stated.

Fubara Inaugurates Engineering and Council Facilities

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peter Nwagor, said the projects included the construction and furnishing of two one-storey buildings housing classrooms, workshops, staff quarters and administrative facilities for the School of Engineering and the Entrepreneurship Centre.

Each building covers approximately 1,940 square metres and includes eight halls, 14 staff offices, 22 toilet facilities and fully air-conditioned spaces designed for practical learning.

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The third project, the Governing Council Building, was initiated during the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike but completed and furnished by the Fubara administration.

Rector of Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Dr Moses Neebee, described the projects as historic additions to the institution, saying the Entrepreneurship Centre and other facilities represented some of the biggest developments on the campus in nearly two decades.

Governor Urges Protection of Facilities

Fubara urged students, school authorities and members of the community to protect the new facilities and equipment from theft and vandalism.

He appealed to residents of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area to support the prevailing peace in Rivers State, stressing that political stability remained essential for sustainable development.