Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Ibraheem Dende Egungbohun (IBD) has charged the government at all levels to continue to make vocational and technical education more attractive to youths in order to meet up with the global industrial challenges.
Egungbohun made the call while speaking to journalists after he was conferred with the Ogun State Institute of Technology(OGITECH), Igbesa fellowship award.
Represented by his spouse, Egungbohun also challenged the government to make technical and vocational education more enticing to the youths to solve the challenge of unemployment.
He noted that many developed countries now prioritize vocational and technical education as against issues that are not beneficial to the youths while also saying that the move would make the youth self-reliant.
To him, “It is only through vocational and technical education that the youth can get entrepreneurial knowledge to stand and work on their own. Government should then make it more enticing to the youth. It is the way forward for this country to end this youthful restfulness.”
He commended the Ogun State government for placing high premium on Education and the current revitalisation of technical colleges across the State through the rehabilitation among other interventions.
He further stressed the need for the government at all levels to place more emphasis on the establishment of skill acquisition centers for the school graduates to learn vocations in addition to their certificates. The move, he said, will reduce the over dependence on white-collar jobs among the youths in the country.
Stressing the importance of technical and vocational education for the youths in the society, the business mogul explained that, for a country to achieve technological advancement and economic development, there was an urgent need for the government to pay premium attention to Polytechnic education and make it more practical in approach.
He appreciated the rector and other management of Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa for bestowing on him the highest honour of the School while promising to do more in uplifting the less privileged in the society.
Egungbohun said, government alone cannot fund education. He challenged other wealthy people in the society to adopt a school in the State and make a meaningful impact in such a school.
