By Disun Amosun
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has said that Nigeria must shift its educational focus toward practical and technical skills if the country hopes to address the alarming rate of youth unemployment.
The Speaker while declaring open a one-day Public Hearing organized by the House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education quoted statistics indicating that about 55% of Nigerian youths are either unemployed or underemployed, largely due to a mismatch between their education and the needs of the job market.
He added that the main objective of the three bills under consideration is to widen access to quality technical and vocational education.
The bills seeking to establish technical and vocational institutions across the country include the following
Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, Zaki Biam, Benue State – Sponsored by Rep. Solomon Wombo.
Others are National Institute for Technical and Vocational Education, Bogoro, Bauchi State – Sponsored by Rep. Jafaru Leko.
Also on the list are Federal Vocational and Skills Acquisition College, Ilaro, Ogun State – Sponsored by Rep. Abiodun Akinlade.
According to the Speaker, the future of our youth is being undermined by the lack of adequate opportunities to gain hands-on training and higher qualifications in technical fields,” he said.
Earlier, the Committee chairman Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda (APC–Lagos) threw its weight behind the establishment of new vocational and technical institutions as a strategic step toward curbing youth unemployment in Nigeria.
Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda (APC–Lagos), called for bold ideas and innovative strategies that will equip young Nigerians with practical skills, technical expertise, and entrepreneurial knowledge to fir into the modern workforce.
Laguda emphasized that the bills aim to promote entrepreneurship, create jobs, and empower Nigerian youths to become employable and self-reliant, especially within their local communities.
“These institutions will serve as platforms to develop the technical capacity of our youth,” he said. “Our committee is fully committed to supporting proposals that foster innovation and promote technical education as a tool for economic empowerment.”
He noted that the House supports the establishment of training institutions that will produce skilled technicians and mid-level professionals to drive the country’s industrialization and development.
