Oyo lawmaker advocates entrepreneurial skills for graduates

The Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, has called for more entrepreneurial training programmes for the youth to empower them with skills and technical competency to face developmental challenges in life.

Ogundoyin, who decried the unemployable status of most Nigerian graduates, spoke at the First Technical University, Ibadan, when he led some other lawmakers on a working visit to the institution established about two years ago.

The speaker said it was time for a review of the nation’s educational system at all levels to accommodate and make adequate provisions for more technical and professional training to position graduates to be a creator of jobs and wealth for sustainable economic development.

Ogundoyin urged the First Technical University to carve a niche for itself as a trail blazer in the provision of functional education for technological innovation and advancement.

According to the Speaker, the House would formulate workable policies that will transform the education sector in line with the vision of Governor Seyi Makinde, who has placed a high priority on educational development as evident in the scrapping of school fees and other levies at primary and secondary school.

He congratulated the management of the university for sustaining the vision of the institution.

While speaking earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of First Technical University, Prof. Ayobami Salami, said the present educational system in the country was dysfunctional.

Salami said the recent ranking of the university as the 43rd out of 252 higher institutions in Nigeria by Webometric, a global rating body, was a manifestation of its promising commitment to changing the narrative of the Nigerian education landscape.

He said that it was the vision of the university to become Nigeria’s first self-sustaining university, adding that aside from their education, the students are mandated to acquire skills in robotics and automation, systems security among others.

The Vice Chancellor expressed optimism that the university would grow in leaps and bounds if there are a synergy and working relationship between the technocrats in the institution and the executive arm of government in Oyo state.