Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has stressed the need to prioritise technical and vocational education to tackle unemployment and produce skilled manpower for economic development.
Fubara spoke on Wednesday while commissioning three major projects at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The projects are the Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Centre, the School of Engineering Building, and the Governing Council Building. While the first two were constructed and furnished by the Fubara administration, the Governing Council Building was constructed under former Governor Nyesom Wike and furnished by the present administration.
The governor said excessive emphasis on academic certificates had contributed to the neglect of vocational and technical education, stressing that polytechnic education was essential to equipping young people with practical skills.
He said the growing difficulty faced by young Nigerians seeking university admission further underscored the need to expand opportunities in technical and vocational education.
According to Fubara, the Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Centre was established to train young people to become job creators rather than depend on government for employment.
He said Rivers State needed more skilled workers capable of driving economic growth, rather than an overwhelming number of administrative officers.
The governor pledged to consider additional support for the institution and urged the management and students to protect the newly commissioned facilities from vandalism.
He also called on Rivers residents to sustain peace, describing it as essential to the continued development of the state.
Earlier, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Moses Neebee, said the commissioning was the first time in nearly 20 years that major projects were being inaugurated at the institution. He commended the governor for improving the school’s infrastructure.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peter Nwagor, described the projects as legacy initiatives, noting that they were awarded in October 2024 and completed within nine months.
