Federal Government says it has released N6 billion to enhance teaching, periodic curriculum review and development in six colleges of education across the country.
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, stated this on Saturday at the 6th – 35th combined convocation ceremony (1991/1992- 2020/2021) of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe.
Adamu said the funds were provided to the schools through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
He said that TETFUND recently inaugurated the establishment of Centres of Excellence in six colleges of education in each of the geopolitical zone, to promote specialisation in pedagogy, curriculum review and development.
Adamu, represented by Prof Paulinus Okwelle, Executive Secretary, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), said each of the institutions received N1 billion as take off grant for the project.
He said that the gesture would be sustained in the next five years by TETFUND.
He said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had initiated reform policies aimed at repositioning the education sector and improving Nigeria’s human capital index.
The Minister said that technical and vocational education was pivotal to the development of human capacity necessary for the nation’s advancement, hence the intervention of the Federal Government in technical education.
Adamu said that government relied on the education system to produce the needed manpower and skills development to put the country on the path of industrialisation.
“The Federal Government had invested so much in Federal Technical Colleges and the Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) for the purpose of engaging in qualitative technical teacher education enterprise.
“Nigeria’s vision of becoming one of the 20 largest economies by 2030 is hinged on mass production of citizens with requisite vocational, technical skills and competencies.
“The acquisition of relevant skills rather than mere certificates is key to our survival in this 21st Century, and that is what can assure food on someone’s table any day just as it is in other climes,” he said.
While urging lecturers to meet the requirement for grant to advance the course of research in technical education, Adamu said the Federal Government had also made research grants available in that regard.
Earlier, Alhaji Sahabi Gada, Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, commended the Federal Government for the timely intervention in awarding erosion control project under the Ecological Fund, to address erosion problem in the college.
Gada advised graduating students to effectively utilise the technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills to become self-reliant and employers of labour, adding that, “entrepreneurship is the answer to unemployment challenges.”
Also speaking, Dr Ali Adamu, Provost of the college, said that the institution which started with 100 students in 1990 had produced over 20,000 National Certificate in Education (NCE) holders.