Reps reiterate commitment to technical education

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas has assured of the commitment of the legislature to ensure technical education gets a boost.

He stated this while declaring open a one- day public hearing on a bill for an act to amend the Federal Technical College, Nasarawa Burkullu, Zamfara state.

Represented by Hon Abubakar Hassan III, he said for too long, the nation has placed disproportionate premium on certificate over skills, adding that the country keep producing graduates without jobs and there are jobs without skilled hands to do them.

He argued that this imbalance is no longer sustainable in Nigeria of today as the world has changed and the global economy no longer rewards degrees. It rewards skills, competence and problem-solving ability.

He said: “Nations that have made progress such as China , Germany south Korea and others did so because they invested deliberately in technical and vocational education.

“That is why this 10th House of Representatives has made skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment a legislative priority.

“The House therefore aligns with the federal government’s renewed agenda on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which seeks to reposition our human capital for industrialisation, innovation and self-reliance.

“The bill before the House is therefore not just about establishing another school, it is about closing a critical skills gap that gives young Nigerian in Zamfara the ability to become an electrician, a welder, a builder, a solar technician, a fabricator, an ICT specialist and to earn a decent living.

“When we give them skills, we give them alternatives. We give them a stake in the stability of the nation. Technical education is therefore a security strategy, an economic strategy, and a social strategy all in one.”