Tinubu to launch APC conference on vocational skills, job creation

Tinubu to launch APC conference on vocational skills, job creation

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to inaugurate a three-day national conference aimed at addressing poverty, unemployment, and the skills gap in Nigeria.

The event, organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Think Tank and its intellectual arm, The Progressive Institute (TPI), will take place from Tuesday, 17th December, to Thursday, 19th December, 2024, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The group in a statement signed by its Head, Media and Strategic Communication, Wale Abideen, stated that with the theme “Vocational Skills Acquisition, Entrepreneurship, and Challenges of Development in Nigeria,” the conference is designed to foster innovative solutions to youth unemployment and bridge the disparity between academic qualifications and workplace demands.

APC National Chairman and chief host of the event, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, therefore, described the conference as a strategic intervention by the APC leadership to complement federal government efforts in tackling unemployment.

Ganduje in the statement, noted that experts and practitioners would present actionable recommendations, which will be forwarded to the federal government for potential implementation.

Director-General of TPI, Dr Lanre Adebayo, however, highlighted the focus areas, which include advanced construction technologies, digital technologies, technical skills in mining, maritime industries, advanced welding certifications, and sustainable agricultural practices. The conference will explore global best practices, drawing on lessons from countries like Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia, which have leveraged vocational skills for economic transformation.

Foreign and local experts, including groups from Britain and China, are expected to present position papers, with some offering support for establishing zonal skills acquisition centres across Nigeria. The initiative aims to identify regionally relevant skills while reviewing and strengthening the vocational components of Nigeria’s educational curriculum.

The event will also delve into cooperative models for organising small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into robust economic units to create sustainable wealth. Organisations such as SMEDAN, the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, the Bank of Industry, and several government ministries and NGOs will contribute to the discourse.

The conference promises to be a pivotal step in shaping Nigeria’s vocational and entrepreneurial landscape.