The six South-West states including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti, have considered the need to collaborate and formulate policies on technical education that would catapult the region into a more viable region in terms of technological and business advancement.

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, who spoke, yesterday, during the South-West Regional Technical Education Providers Forum themed “Empowering Technical Education Providers: Implementing Policies for a Skilled Labour Market,” held at Amber Residence Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, said that unlocking a brighter future requires a strong foundation in technical education.

He emphasised that leveraging technical education is crucial to creating a prosperous and resilient nation that is equipped to overcome challenges and seize opportunities for the future.

He said: “If we want to build a prosperous and resilient nation, we must leverage technical education. So, our aim must then be to build an innovative economy that understands digital essence and that also allows people to use their hands to work.”

The deputy governor, also speaking on the need for the South-West states to develop a unified regional framework for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET), said that it would ensure consistency and quality across the region.

He added: “We must also establish a mechanism to track outcomes and continuously refine strategies, invest in infrastructure, and foster collaboration by engaging federal, state, and local governments, private sector actors and development partners.”

He noted that TVET is crucial in the development of the nation, especially Africa, as it provides hands-on training, enabling students to develop skills relevant to the job market, adding that Nigeria is at a pivotal moment where there is unemployment for the youth due to lack of adequately trained professionals.

He stressed that technical and vocational education would help in addressing skills gaps by aligning training programmes with industry demands and ensuring a steady supply of skilled labour.

Hamzat, therefore, restated the importance of attaching technical and vocational education to the country’s education system. In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Tolani Alli-Balogun, emphasised the importance of empowering technical education providers as it is critical to building a skilled labour market that could drive economic growth, innovation, and prosperity.

He said that empowering technical education providers to implement policies would foster a skilled labour market. Also, Executive Secretary of Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Moronke Azeez, stated the need to improve the state of technical education in the South-west to ensure that the country has young people who are knowledgeable, skilled, competent, and employable.