The Speaker of the House of Representatives has unveiled the Committee on Federal Polytechnics in a bid to promote technical skills development to address youth unemployment.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas made the recommendation at the inauguration of the House Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education in Abuja.
Hon. Abbas said the world of Information and Technology has now shown that skills are not only triumphing but its boundless possibilities continue to wow the generation.
He said that a cursory look at the statistics from International Labour Organization (ILO), estimates that about 75 million young people in Nigeria are unemployed.
According to him, the report does not only represent a massive pool of untapped talent and human capital but it is speculated to account for a significant cause of social unrest and individual despair.
“There is no other route than for us to retool our Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) systems as part of our broad educational reforms.
“In recognition of this and the fact that a lot is being done with university education already, the current House leadership decided to carve out this committee so that adequate attention in terms of legislation, policy and oversight is paid to our polytechnics, monotechnics, technical institutes and vocational centers; such that technical education at post-secondary levels meets their purposes,” Hon Abbas said.
He said that the 21st century will thrive on skills, innovation and creativity which by Nigerian’s educational design, are supposed to be driven by the polytechnics, technical and vocational institutes.
He also said that some of the challenges includes law, policy, curriculum, dichotomy, funding, bureaucracy and lots more.
The speaker charged the committee to carry out its oversight, present useful bills and proposals that can retool the system and present to the house for consideration.
The Speaker assured all stakeholders that the National Assembly will work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and all agencies and institutions associated to the development of the sector.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Adebgboyega Isiaka, said that the overall goal is to build skilled and productive pool of human resources in the country.
According to him, “we may not be able to alter the status quo until the right investments are made.”
He said that the committee is advocating a major shift in national commitment to education with the recommendation that budgetary allocation to education should be scaled up to minimum 15 per cent of national budget.
The chairman recommended a sub-allocation to technical education should be upgraded to not less than 30 per cent of education allocation.
“This, alongside other necessary systemic and attitudinal changes will put us on the path of national growth and global competitiveness in the 21st century skills market.
“The task of nation-building is an onerous one that requires the contribution of all patriots.
“While extending our deepest appreciation for this opportunity, we humbly seek the backing of the House leadership to make these noble objectives happen,” he said.
The Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said that evidence around the world shows that countries that have made progress in their overall quest for national development prioritised capacity building and human resource development.
He said that the unique role that polytechnics and higher technical education play in the process cannot be overemphasised.
“They provide access to specialised education that is aimed at empowering our students with the requisite skills needed to address the human resource gap in industry, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, vocational, and technical studies.
“As important as they are, polytechnics and higher technical education continue to gain more ground in relevance even as technology, artificial intelligence, and skill acquisition continue to drive innovation and development,” he said.
Prof Sulaiman admonished members of the committee to be fervent in their attendance at committee meetings, oversight functions, and other functions within the committee’s jurisdiction.
He urged the leadership of the house do its best to enhance funding for committees in the house to carry out their duties.
