A Professor of Industrial Technical Education at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor John Ajike Uduma Uka, has advocated for the repositioning of technical education in Nigeria as a central pillar of national development. He made this call during his 87th Inaugural Lecture at the University Auditorium, titled “Surgical Analysis of the Ills of Nigeria’s Technical Education Sector: Towards a Healing Process”.
Professor Uka emphasized that revitalizing Nigeria’s Technical Education system is not merely an educational priority but a national imperative. A well-functioning Technical Education sector has the potential to bridge the skills gap, reduce unemployment, stimulate industrial growth and enhance the country’s global competitiveness. He stressed that the sector stands at a critical crossroads, reflecting deep-seated structural inefficiencies and long-standing systemic neglect.
The Professor highlighted that despite its strategic importance in driving industrialization, employment generation and technological advancement, the sector continues to underperform due to policy inconsistency, inadequate funding, weak industry linkages and persistent negative societal perceptions. He noted that addressing these challenges requires more than superficial interventions; it demands a holistic and sustained reform approach.
Professor Uka recommended, among others, increased and sustained funding for technical education, upgrading of technical facilities and learning environments, strengthening industry-institution collaboration, modernization of the TVET curriculum, promotion of competency-based assessment, and strengthening of the National Board for Technical Education. He also stressed the importance of shifting societal attitudes to recognise Technical Education as a viable pathway to economic empowerment.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of IAUE, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, lauded the 87th Inaugural Lecturer for exposing the ills of technical education. He appealed to the Rivers State Government to establish a Ministry of Vocational and Technical Education to give TVET a wider range and reach. On his part, the Registrar of IAUE, Professor Chinonye Abraham Ajie, expressed appreciation to the 87th Inaugural Lecturer for his presentation.
Professor Uka concluded that a healthy technical education system is indispensable to building the skilled workforce required for Nigeria to compete effectively in the 21st-century global economy. If his recommendations are implemented with political will, adequate funding, stakeholder collaboration and rigorous monitoring, technical education can become a powerful engine room for industrialization, employment creation, and sustainable national development.
The event was attended by various stakeholders, including Professor TamunodienyeNkechiMba, who expressed gratitude to all who attended the occasion. The Inaugural Lecture is part of the university's efforts to address critical issues affecting the nation's development.
Key points
- Professor John Ajike Uduma Uka calls for reforms in Nigeria's technical education sector.
- Technical education can drive national development and industrialization.
- Reforms in technical education require coordinated efforts from governments, institutions, and industries.
