Unemployment: Fubara urges shift to vocational, technical education

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has called for a shift towards vocational and technical education in Nigeria's educational system. At the inauguration of an Entrepreneurship Centre, Engineering Faculty Building, and Governing Council Building at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Fubara emphasized that the focus on theoretical qualifications over practical skills has contributed to high unemployment rates.

He recalled the original 6-3-3-4 educational system designed to prepare students for vocational and technical education at the secondary school level. According to Fubara, students should have acquired a skill by the end of those three years, enabling them to become self-employed. He lamented that the country has strayed from this vision, with young people prioritizing degrees without relevant skills.

The governor highlighted the importance of the Entrepreneurship Centre project to train students with practical skills, making them job creators rather than job seekers.