Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has called on polytechnics in the country to prioritise teaching students technical education to drive self-reliant and economic progress.
Speaking yesterday at the second national conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Bauchi Chapter, Professor Pate emphasised the role of technical skills in equipping graduates for productive employment, which, in turn, would bolster the nation’s economy.
The minister highlighted the importance of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among young Nigerians, stressing that such skills would not only create jobs but also reduce dependency on foreign labour.
“Technical education and innovation are crucial for ensuring job opportunities for our graduates and for catalyzing economic growth,” Professor Pate said, underscoring the need for institutions to adapt their curriculum to meet industry demands.
On his part, Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed, represented by the state commissioner for Higher Education, Dr. Lydia Tsammani, echoed the minister’s sentiments.
The governor assured attendees of his administration’s commitment to integrating technology into the state’s education system to enhance learning outcomes and foster a more robust economy.
He encouraged the youths to embrace entrepreneurship to reduce poverty and unemployment in Bauchi and across Nigeria, urging young business owners to identify local challenges their skills could address.
Federal Polytechnic Bauchi’s rector, Sani Usman, added that the institution is committed to training students in technical and entrepreneurial skills to drive Nigeria from a consumption-based to a production-driven economy.
He noted that such efforts are essential to sustaining industrialisation, as graduates who possess practical skills can become the backbone of a self-sufficient economy.
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