The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, has restated the Federal Government’s resolve to use Polytechnics as agent of industrial and technological growth.
The minister, who was represented by Dr Masa’ud Kazaure, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, stated this on Saturday at the 14th combined convocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida.
Adamu said that the Polytechnics would serve government’s drive of making the teeming youth educated and self-employed instead of job seekers.
He added that this would also translate into reducing the level of corruption through engagement of citizens, especially the youths.
Adamu challenged Polytechnics in the country to make Nigeria a producer nation rather than a consumer one.
He, therefore, charged the polytechnic to imbibe high sense of probity, adding that they should continue to play crucial roles in improving the nation’s economy.
“You will agree with me that corruption is the bane of our society as this has eaten deeply into its fabric.
“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will not relent in using every instrument available to totally extricate this vice from our nation,” he said.
He commended the Federal Polytechnic, Bida for planning to introduce new courses in Agricultural Technology, stressing its importance in the agricultural chain.
Similarly, Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger, charged the Polytechnic to leverage on its strength of skill development to reduce unemployment in the country.
Bello, who was represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Muhammad Ketso, said that the Polytechnics would, however, perform optimally with due attention from government.
“Once polytechnics remain focused and receive the desired attention, the disturbing high-level of unemployment being experienced in this country today would be drastically reduced.
“This is because of the various innovative and incentive skills being acquired by polytechnic graduates like Entrepreneurial education is the bedrock of socio-economic development and societal transformation,” he said.
Earlier, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr Abubakar Dzukogi, stated that new courses would be introduced by next session.
He revealed that the course would include Information and Communication Technology as well as various agricultural course to boost the state agriculture potential. (NAN)