PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA — Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has called for a strategic shift toward Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) across Nigeria’s learning institutions.
Speaking on Wednesday during the commissioning of three major infrastructure projects at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Rumuola, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Governor Fubara stated that Nigeria’s overemphasis on paper qualifications over practical expertise is driving youth unemployment and economic stagnation.
Key Takeaways from the Governor’s Address
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Certificate Obsession vs. Practical Skills: Governor Fubara lamented that society prioritizes university degrees over technical capacity, resulting in graduates entering the job market without marketable skills.
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Reviving the 6-3-3-4 System’s Core Vision: He recalled that Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 education model was originally designed to equip students with practical skills, trades, or crafts by the end of junior secondary school to support self-employment.
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Polytechnics as Job Creation Engines: The polytechnic system was created specifically for technical talent, and learning institutions must focus on grooming students into employers of labor rather than job seekers.
“The polytechnic system was designed in such a way that if you’re gifted with your hands, you can go there, build your skills, and add value to society… So even when people know they cannot survive the rigors of academic work, they struggle to get a degree that isn’t useful. That is part of the problem we are having in our society.”
— Governor Siminalayi Fubara
