By Maryam Abeeb
In order to address unemployment of graduates, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Haruna yesterday asked the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education(NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) to review the curriculum for Entrepreneurship courses.
He said graduates are jobless because of misalignment between products of our tertiary institutions and the limited job market.
He said the ongoing building of skill acquisition centres nationwide was aimed at tackling youth unemployment and industrial development.
Haruna made the plea at the groundbreaking of the permanent site of NASENI Skill Acquisition Centre in Gwantu Kurmi in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State by the state’s Deputy Governor. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe.
He said: “May I use using this opportunity to reiterate and call on the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) to overhaul the curriculum used in teaching Entrepreneurship courses.
“Most tertiary institutions in Nigeria have no qualified lecturers and enabling environment to teach entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a practical course taught only by practicing entrepreneurs.
“Experts in management sciences and marketing with no training in entrepreneurship are not qualified to teach entrepreneurship courses.
“NASENI Skill development centres across the nations will collaborate with willing tertiary institutions in their catchment areas to bridge this gap.”
He explained the reasons behind unemployment, including limited job market and lack of requisite skills by youths,
He added: “There is clear misalignment between graduates of our tertiary institutions and the limited job market. In addition, a lot of youth have no formal education constituting a threat to the future of our dear nation.
“For peace to prevail in any society, the citizens, particularly the youths, must be meaningfully engaged and gainfully employed through capacity building for the generation of job opportunities.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of Skill Development Centres and Institutions of NASENI across the nation to address youth unemployment create chains of businesses and industrial development for economic prosperity.”
He said the skill centre in Gwantu Kurmi in Kaduna State was designed to reduce rural-urban migration, youth restiveness and to promote agro-allied businesses.
Haruna added: “This skill development centre will train and develop middle level manpower with focus on employability in selected occupational areas, provide and improve training standards and ensure that the right technical and vocational skills needed by the local industries are available.
“It will also focus on empowering the youths with two multiple technical and entrepreneurial skills for job mobility and wealth creation, and certify the skills and competences of the trainees for fair share of the labour market.
“The NASENI Skill acquisition centre in Gwantu also demonstrates government commitment to the development of the technology base of the nation. The impact of the centre will lead to reduction in rural-urban migration; it would reduce youth restiveness; promote agro-allied businesses and generally enhance security in the southern Kaduna Area of this State.
“The establishment of this centre will also complement the efforts of both the Kaduna State and the Federal governments on job creation. This skill centre will also train and empower able youth with little or no formal education to be self-reliant employers of labour.
“This skill acquisition centre will provide an opportunity for these youths in the state and nation-wide to be engaged in vocational skills acquisition in their chosen specialties. “
NASENI EVC commended Governor Nasir El-Rufai for his “remarkable achievements in infrastructure, education and socio-economic development in Kaduna State.
The Deputy Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner/Administrator, Kafanchan Municipal Authority, Mrs. Phoebe Sukai Yayi said Kaduna State under the leadership of Governor Nasiru El-Rufai has many programmes for youths and women empowerment.
She said NASENI Skills acquisition programmer will complement what the state has on ground.
She said: “This ceremony is a welcome development geared towards job creation to enhance economic prosperity. The state government is impressed with what NASENI is doing across the country to uplift the living standard of youths through entrepreneurship”.
She called for greater participation of women in skills acquisition.
“If we have more women, we build a greater generation because women have the insight while men have the sight”.
