The Industrial Training Fund, ITF, has called for skills empowerment in tertiary education system towards ensuring productive graduates that can compete with their counterparts the world over.
The Director General of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari made the call in Abuja during the third Annual Forum For Innovation In African Universities, FIAU, with the theme “Strengthening Africa’s Higher Education In A Post COVID -19 World”.
Sir Joseph Ari who said the forum was to institutionalize innovation in higher education system stressed the need for Africa to leverage on happenings in advanced countries towards strengthening tertiary Institutions most especially in Nigeria.
The Director General who commended the policy direction of President Bola Tinubu on education most especially on the Student’s Loan emphasized the need for sustainable skills through apprenticeship which the ITF is currently championing in Nigeria.
According to him, ITF is already collaborating with the German Government under the German Dual Vocational Training, DVT, towards promoting sustainable vocational and skills development in Nigeria.
“For us to properly appreciate what African Higher Education Institutions needed to do in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to highlight some of the challenges that confronted tertiary education system in Africa particularly in Nigeria which includes high drop out rate, distortion in academic calendar, absence of adequate infrastructure for online learning or challenges of ICT infrastructure, power supply, rising insecurity, lack of digital education system, reluctance by teachers and school administrators to embrace new technology among others hence the need for necessary innovations and skills to make tertiary Institutions more effective and result oriented ” He pointed out.
The Director General therefore called on all tertiary Institutions and other stakeholders to collaborate with ITF towards driving the growth of Nigeria through innovation.
In a remark, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Andrew Adejoh commended the initiative of ITF through SIWES and other vocational skills acquisition programmes aimed at making Nigerian youths and graduates self reliant.
Mr Adejoh therefore reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to partner necessary Agencies and stakeholders towards strengthening the nation’s education system.
On her part, the former African Union Commissioner for Education, Professor Sarah Agbor called on the participants to come up with workable strategies that would ensure qualitative and productive innovation in tertiary Institutions in Africa.
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Matthew Ayoola, Edited By Grace Namiji
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