The Etsu Nupe and chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has harped on the need for government at all levels to prioritise skills-based education for rapid development.
The eminent monarch made the call at the commissioning of four blocks of classrooms, offices and modern toilets built by Sunti Sugar Company at the cost of N27million.
The building was donated to Saint Mathias Anglican Church in Kusogi community in Mokwa local government area of Niger State.
Represented at the event by the Ndacheko Nupe, Alhaji Baiwa Mohammed, the Etsu Nupe said the government, parents and corporate organisations in the country must invest in education where different skills will be taught from the formative age in order to reduce search for white collar jobs after graduation.
He said that rather than searching for job the type of education to be encouraged should be the one that will make graduates employers of labour after being exposed to skills-based education right from the kindergarten level.
The monarch encouraged parents to enrol their wards in school to acquire formal education, and also give priority to girl child education in order for the gender not to be relegated in the society.
Alhaji Abubakar commended Sunti Sugar for the gesture while calling on other corporate organisations to emulate the company in embarking on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the communities they operate.
The general manager of Sunti Sugar Company, Mr Anlo Du Pisani, in his remarks, said the project was part of the CSR of the company towards developing their immediate communities and to encourage mutual co-existence between the company and them.
Pisani said in August 2022, the firm conducted an independent needs assessment of its host community to identify priority areas for development, of which education, was given priority.
