Fubara Advocates Vocational Education, Commissions Three Projects at Elechi Amadi PolytechnicRivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has called for a shift from Nigeria’s overreliance on academic qualifications to vocational and technical education, saying practical skills are essential to tackling unemployment and driving economic development.
Fubara made the call on Wednesday while commissioning three major projects at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The governor said Nigeria’s educational curriculum must be restructured to equip young people with practical skills for self-employment and job creation, noting that the original 6-3-3-4 education system was designed to promote vocational training.
He lamented that the country had gradually shifted towards prioritising certificates and degrees over technical competence, leaving many graduates without skills relevant to the labour market.
According to him, the Entrepreneurship Centre at the polytechnic was designed to train students in practical skills that would enable them become employers of labour rather than job seekers.
Fubara also urged the institution and residents to protect the newly completed facilities from vandalism and theft, stressing that the projects were intended to directly improve the lives of the people.
The three projects include the School of Engineering building, the Entrepreneurship Centre and the Governing Council Building. The latter was initiated under the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike and completed and furnished by the Fubara administration.
