Reps consider bills to create four federal vocational schools

The house of representatives committee on alternative education is considering four bills seeking to establish new vocational and skills acquisition training centres across the country.

The move, described as a “bold step” toward addressing unemployment and strengthening Nigeria’s human capital, aims to provide an alternative path for lifelong learning and employment generation.

In his opening remarks during a one-day public hearing on Monday in Abuja, Ibrahim Almustapha Aliyu (APC, Sokoto), the committee chairman, said vocational training and entrepreneurial skill acquisition are fundamental drivers of national development.

He said Nigeria’s youth “must be empowered through skills training and alternative education for self-sufficiency and national progress.”

The four bills under consideration, the chairman disclosed, are to establish:

• The South East Institute for Vocational and Entrepreneurial Studies, Umuobum, Imo state
• The Federal Institute of Technical Education and Skills Acquisition, Mbaise, Imo state
• The Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, Ilorin West, Kwara state
• The National Institute for Vocational and Entrepreneurial Studies, Agadagba-Obon, Ese-Odo, Ondo state

The bills are being sponsored by Ikeagwuonu Onyinye Ugochinyere, Chinedu Emeka Martins, Muktar Tolani Shagaya, and Donald Kimikanboh Ojogo, respectively.

Key stakeholders in the bill include the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), the National Commission for Almajiri Education (NCAE), and representatives from the Arogbo Ijaw Kingdom and the Mbaise Community.

The speaker, represented by Paul Nnamchi (LP, Enugu), said alternative education is a “brain child borne out of necessity” to create a “bridge between educational qualifications and skills for national development.”

Ifejika Sunday, representing the executive director of the SEDC, confirmed the commission’s commitment to initiatives promoting technical education, noting that the establishment of the centres “aligns with its establishment mandate.”

However, Stephanie Osa-Osaghae, director of special initiatives for the Nigeria Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Services (NOGALSS), called for NOGALSS to be included on the board of the proposed centres.

She argued that this would “guarantee broad-based participation and effective coordination.”

The public hearing brought together key stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and professional bodies such as the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).