Nigeria must move away from a culture that places greater value on academic certificates than practical competence and begin to prioritise skills, problem-solving and innovation as the foundation for national development.
A former Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University and Pro-Chancellor of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti (BOUESTI), Professor Oladipo Aina, made the call while delivering the maiden combined convocation lecture of the Ekiti State College of Technology (EKSCOTECH), Ijero-Ekiti.
During the lecture held at the Polytechnic campus in Ijero-Ekiti, Aina spoke on the theme, “From Skills to Solutions: Repositioning Technical Education for Nigeria’s Technological and Industrial Transformation,” saying Nigeria could not achieve meaningful industrialisation by producing graduates who possessed certificates without the practical skills required to solve real-world problems.
The professor urged graduates not to define themselves by their academic qualifications or see themselves as limited by the type of certificate they obtained.
“Do not define yourself by your certificate. Never say, ‘I am only an HND holder.’ See yourself as a technically trained professional,” Aina told the graduating students.
Aina argued that Nigeria does not merely need more graduates or certificates, but competent people capable of creating value, generating opportunities and solving problems.
He said the country must also move from being predominantly a consumer of technology to becoming a nation of creators, adapters and innovators capable of developing solutions suited to its peculiar needs.
The don noted that Nigeria’s employment challenge could not be separated from the country’s skills gap, pointing out that employers frequently complain about the difficulty of finding appropriately skilled workers while young people complain about the scarcity of jobs.
The former university vice-chancellor also challenged the longstanding perception in Nigeria that technical and vocational education was inferior to conventional academic education.
The professor called for a national skills-forecasting system capable of identifying emerging labour-market requirements before shortages became acute.
He also advocated stronger industry participation in curriculum development, modern laboratories and workshops, applied research, entrepreneurship, innovation and closer partnerships between technical institutions and employers.
Aina proposed an annual EKSCOTECH Innovation and Technology Expo, where students could display prototypes, researchers could showcase applied research, industries could present real-world problems, entrepreneurs could identify opportunities and investors could examine promising innovations.
According to him, such an initiative could strengthen relationships between EKSCOTECH, industry, government, investors and the wider community while demonstrating that the institution was producing solutions rather than merely issuing certificates.
He further called for government to treat technical education as strategic economic infrastructure, stressing that modern curricula would have limited impact if students were trained with obsolete equipment.
Aina urged the graduating students to approach their first five years after graduation deliberately.
Aina urged the Ekiti State Government to regard the transformation of EKSCOTECH as a strategic investment in the state’s future productive capacity.
He called for sustained investment in modern infrastructure, functional laboratories and workshops, digital connectivity, staff development, applied research, innovation, industry partnerships, entrepreneurship and sustainable financing.
Aina similarly charged academic and professional staff to prepare students for the world into which they would graduate rather than merely teaching what they themselves had been taught.
He urged lecturers to update their knowledge, engage with industry, undertake relevant research, use technology creatively, mentor students, collaborate across disciplines and establish partnerships that exposed students to real-world challenges.
In a remark, Chairman of the Governing Council of EKSCOTECH, Dr Femi Thomas, commended Aina for what he described as solutions to challenges graduates face after leaving higher institutions.
Thomas also praised Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his support for the institution, saying the governor’s interventions had contributed significantly to its growth and development.
The Rector of EKSCOTECH, Dr Olufemi Olubamise, said the institution recognised the importance of vocational and skills acquisition and had been equipping students with practical skills aimed at making them self-reliant after graduation.
Olubamise said the institution was also collaborating with relevant stakeholders to expand its academic and professional scope.
The convocation lecture was attended by management representatives of sister higher institutions in Ekiti State, including BOUESTI, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Babatunde Omojola.
Also present was the Owa-Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Oba Adewole Adebayo, among other dignitaries.
