…calls for paradigm shift in Nigeria’s education system.
By Nosakhare Agbonigiarhuoyi
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has called for a paradigm shift in the educational system of the country to boost productivity and ensure sustenance of the growing population.
He made this remark on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at the end of a two-day Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Conference organized by the Edo State government in collaboration with the German corporation, GIZ Skye, at the State’s government house, Benin City.
The event featured the presentation of the Edo State TVET & Employment Promotion Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2035 document.
Addressing participants at the conference, the Governor harped on the need for Nigeria to focus on producing what its growing population consumes by paying attention to technical and vocational education and training instead of spending huge resources on importing consumables.
He said: “We must now begin to produce more of what we consume. It’s a paradigm shift; you cannot do that without ensuring that there are certain fundamental plans of our existence that must shift. So the thinking must change.
“The thinking has to change by us now beginning to realize that it’s only us that can produce what we need, and begin to train our children in that light.” Obaseki emphasised.
He went on to say: “It’s not about going to school and acquiring certificates. It’s about education for your survival and sustenance. That’s why TVET is critical for us.”
Explaining the rationale behind the transformation going on in the state, Obaseki said that with the Edo State 30-year Development Masterplan, his administration has provided a development template for future governments to help them in planning and transforming the state.
“We as a government are here to set a path to the future. We get bashed because so much was not done before now, and everybody wants us to do everything now, which is not humanly possible.
“What we have promised Edo people is that, unlike what we met, our successor will have a plan for the future, and this is where we are going”, he said.
The governor also highlighted key areas of economic growth where his administration has focused on, and said that strategies have been put in place for each of these areas.
They include Mining; Fabrication; Woodwork (Furniture); Water; Electricity; Agriculture; Manufacturing; amongst others.
Mr. Obaseki reiterated his commitment to Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) and called on relevant stakeholders to prioritize TVET, stressing that Government’s role is to set a healthy regulatory environment that will make TVET more desirable and effective to the development of the state.
He said: “A key plan of this strategy must be communication. We must let our people know what we are doing. We must let parents know.
“We are committed to TVET and nothing will stop us from achieving our goals for TVET, and making sure that we are the number one state for TVET in Nigeria.”
On his part, the Head of Project, GIZ-Skye Skills Development for Youth Employment, Tobias Wolfgarten, appreciated the governor and all stakeholders for their support in coming up with the Edo TVET Strategic and Development plan.
He said: “We want to look at the strategic level of TVET, and this is a process we have embarked on in the last two-three months.
“We have worked on it, first of all, on an organizational level with the TVET board of Edo State, to see where we want to bring the TVET board in the next 5 years.”
Present at the event were representatives of GIZ Skye, the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Education, Swiss Embassy, amongst others.
