The Minister of State for Education, Rt Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah, says part of Federal Government efforts to create a self-reliant society is to expand the frontiers of vocational education in Nigeria.
He stated this at the official flagoff the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) supported Incentivised Pilot Schools Sewing Championship 2023 (SSCP2023) project for secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The minister said that this was the reason the Ministry of Education, its parastatals and agencies are working in tandem with development partners towards a paradigm shift in the education sector to institute the “discovery of creative skills, aptitudes and competences necessary in converting the abundance of non-oil resources into wealth, which is a sure way of turning the economy of our country around.”
According to him, “the major focus is on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
“These areas of focus are prioritised in the ministry’s Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP, Pillar 3), Education 2030 Agenda, Ministerial Mandate, Medium Term National Development Plan and other relevant policy documents.
The minister said that the initiative would build and sustain individual and societal development, thereby leading to a new narrative of productive, qualitative, efficient and functional citizens.
Opiah, who commended the efforts of the executive director of the Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF), Hon. Rosemary Ojochenemi Osikoya, for initiating the sewing championship project in public schools that are within the six council areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He also appreciated the support of the FCT’s education secretariat, traditional rulers and other stakeholders who have contributed towards the success of the pilot stage of the inter-state competition.
The SSCP2023 was initiated by a nongovernmental organisation, Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF), in collaboration with the FCT education secretariat and was supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The minister urged the participants to maximise the opportunity of the programme to acquire skills that would make them self-reliant.
Opiah, while commending the LMF for the initiative noted that, “it is in line with the vision of the present administration which takes STEM and TVET as top priorities in addressing the challenge of unemployment in the country.’’
He stressed that the functional skills acquisition would serve as a solution to unemployment, social vices and the related problems of out-of-school children.
The minister assured LMF of the ministry’s support for the vocational initiative to enable the project to grow and expand for wider coverage.
In her remarks, the executive director of LMF, Mrs Rosemary Ojochenemi Osikoya, said the initiative was designed to sensitise the general public and targeted stakeholders on the benefits of vocational education and livelihood skills development.
She disclosed that the pilot sewing contest will draw 54 participants from schools across the six council areas of the FCT who will undergo a five-day intensive training at a boot camp after which three winners will emerge.
Osikoya said participants and participating schools will emerge in the first, second and third positions at the final competition and they will also be gifted sewing machines and equipment as prizes.
According to her, the targeted beneficiaries/groups include young adults between the ages of 12 and 20, who had been enrolled at the both the formal learning centres for JSS and SSS classes and non-formal learning centres in Abuja for the out of school youths or learners.
She said the initiative would contribute to sharpening the perception and reduce the stigmatisation associated with vocational education as well as provide a credible interactive platform to encourage young adults of school age to commit to acquisition of functional vocational skills.
She added that it would also help in strengthening schools co-curricular and sporting activities by encouraging healthy competition and leadership development acquired through play.
She stated also that the objective was to provide a competitive and engaging platform for incentivising positive competition amongst young learners; motivate and harness creativity among young adults as well as identify and promote talented young skilled artisans and craftsmen of school age.
According to her, the six FCT’s area councils’ flag off would hold from January 23 to 30, while the qualifying championship will take place between March 7 through 9, 2023.
She said the FCT Boot Camp for the final championship is scheduled for April 25 to 29, while the awards presentation and closing ceremony will also be held in April 2023.
She said the project is enjoying partnership from the Federal Ministry of Education (FME); the FCT Education Secretariat (project host), NTA, FRCN, APWEN, NBTE, NMEC, NAPTIN, NABTEB, and many others.
Osikoya said the Pilot Incentivised SSCP 2023, had potential to become a nation-wide project in the future, with wider stakeholders’ buy-in and adequate funding.
She added that it would also help to objectively appraise schools’ TVET efforts, strengthen interschool competitiveness and facilitate support for establishment/ furnishing of schools’ workshops.
