Lagos -The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) on Tuesday directed all Nigerian Polytechnics, Colleges of Agriculture and innovation enterprise institutions to comply with the mandatory entrepreneurship development course, or risk losing accreditation for their programmes.
NBTE’s Executive Secretary, Dr Mas’udu Kazaure, made the remark at the opening of a four-day workshop on Entrepreneurship for Polytechnics and similar institutions in the country, at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
Kazaure was represented on the occasion by Mr Ekpenyong Ekpenyong, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, of the board.
He said that the NBTE had issued a circular to polytechnics and other similar institutions under its supervision, as far back as 2006, making the active participation of all programmes on entrepreneurship mandatory.
Kazaure said that the board had also made the entrepreneurship development programme a mandatory requirement for accreditation of programmes.
“NBTE has sanctioned some institutions that failed to comply with the board’s directive, by denying them accreditation of their programmes.
“And we will continue to enforce compliance to the directive.
“I wish to, therefore, emphasise that all Nigerian polytechnics, innovation enterprise institutions, colleges of agriculture and similar institutions must comply, to avoid losing the accreditation of their programmes.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“I congratulate heads of institutions whose programmes have attained accreditation status, based on the new accreditation process which emphasises full implementation of entrepreneurship,’’ he said.
Kazaure said that Nigeria’s unemployment crisis was ironically happening at the time of acute shortage of technical and vocational skills in the country.
He said that a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that an average of 1.3 million Nigerians entered the job market every year.
“Similarly, 53 per cent of people between 24 and 44 years old are unemployed, while the national committee on job creation put the total number of unemployed Nigerians at 49 million.
“The largest group is the unemployed youths, which has resulted in increased urban violence, kidnapping, militancy and insurgency in the country,’’ he said.
Kazaure urged participants from colleges of agriculture to critically consider the abandoned opportunities in agriculture-entrepreneurship.
“The major framework for agriculture-entrepreneurship is to enhance production of agricultural produce, by making the best use of technological innovations and inventions, resources and demand in the market.
“This remains the only alternative that together, we can free our young people from economic marginalisation and social exclusion.
“Institutions should give maximum support to this laudable government initiative, to reduce poverty and promote wealth creation among our young graduates through entrepreneurship education.
“It is indeed our duty to find a way or make one,’’ he said.
Kazaure said that the NBTE’s new bold initiatives would dwell substantially on reforming and re-branding the sector, and setting out sound policies that would move technical and vocational education in Nigeria forward.
He said that the key to the future would be found in the radical change in the field of technical and vocational education, toward industrially relevant skills development, including general education and training.
Dr Margaret Ladipo, Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, said that the programme was designed for rectors, provosts and coordinators of entrepreneurship development centres, to ensure effective management of entrepreneurship education in all institutions.
She said that entrepreneurship was a vital tool to sustainable economic development.
Ladipo said that polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology, by virtue of their enabling act, are not only well-positioned but suitable platforms for the attainment of technological advancement.
“The essence of entrepreneurship education in tertiary institutions is to produce competent graduates, who will be academically and economically empowered with the requisite skills, to become self-employed and ultimately employers of labour.
“It is, therefore, imperative that entrepreneurship education should be vigorously pursued in polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of technology through the establishment of centres for entrepreneurship development, to stimulate the drive. (NAN)