The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, has called on the Federal Government to look towards China for technological breakthroughs in the country.
Speaking at a workshop aimed to develop National Occupational Standards/National Skills Qualification for 25 occupational areas, in Kaduna on Monday, Bugaje argued that Western countries have historically hindered Africa’s growth, fearing they will be surpassed.
He noted that in contrast, China is seen as a more willing partner, having already invested heavily in Nigeria’s infrastructure, including railways, roads, and airports.
According to the Bugaje, Nigeria will be better once it repositions the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TIVET).
The NBTE Executive Secretary, who commended the Minister of Education’s plan to make technical colleges attractive through rebranding of all the Federal Science and Technical Colleges, advised that Nigeria key into China’s Belt and Road Intervention.
Bugaje emphasized that Nigeria needs to look towards the East in order to rediscover itself, citing the country’s historical ties with China.
This was just as he also noted that China’s Belt and Road Initiative could provide the necessary funding and expertise to rejuvenate Nigeria’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TIVET) sector.
He said, “The plan of the Minister is to make Technical Colleges attractive. At the Federal level, all the Federal Science and Technical Colleges are being rebranded.
“Across the country, the government is introducing financial support from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). There is going to be funding for every student who joins technical science colleges by paying their school fees, certificate of NSQ, by paying them monthly allowance, by paying the master craftsman who trains him on the field.
“Very soon technical schools will become attractive and at the moment, we are developing a proposal to the Minister for a Belt and Road intervention. This is a program which China has been promoting across the world. They have been building roads, railways, airports and other infrastructures elsewhere.
“The best way to support those infrastructure is to invest in TIVET. Because the current infrastructure In polytechnics is very weak. If we are really going to put TIVET on a fast track, we must reengineer these technical colleges, bring new infrastructures, do away with archaic curriculum and bring in modern ones.
“The plan of the Minister is to make Technical Colleges attractive. At the Federal level, all the Federal Science and Technical Colleges are being rebranded. Across the country, the government is introducing financial support from NELFUND.
Bugaje believes that partnering with China could be a game-changer for Nigeria’s development.
The workshop, organized by NBTE and the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project, brought together experts in the technology industry to develop National Occupational Standards/National Skills Qualification for 25 occupational areas.
Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director of Talent and Skill Managers Limited, Isah Suleiman, said the participants were experts in 25 fields cutting across Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Agriculture, Mechatronics, Fishery, and others brought from across the country to develop the National Occupational Standards/National Skills Qualification for the 25 skills.
He added that the effort was aimed at addressing the existing skills gaps in the country and addressing unemployment among the youths.
