Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has called on polytechnics in the country to prioritise teaching students’ technical education to drive self-reliant and economic progress.
Speaking on Tuesday at the second national conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Bauchi Chapter, Professor Pate emphasised the role of technical skills in equipping graduates for productive employment, which, in turn, would bolster the nation’s economy.
The minister highlighted the importance of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among young Nigerians, stressing that such skills would not only create jobs but also reduce dependency on foreign labour.
“Technical education and innovation are crucial for ensuring job opportunities for our graduates and for catalyzing economic growth,” Pate said, emphasing the need for institutions to adapt their curriculum to meet industry demands.
On his part, Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr. Lydia Tsammani, echoed the minister’s sentiments.
The governor assured attendees of his administration’s commitment to integrating technology into the state’s education system to enhance learning outcomes and foster a more robust economy.
He encouraged youth to embrace entrepreneurship as a means to reduce poverty and unemployment in Bauchi and across Nigeria, urging young business owners to identify local challenges their skills could address.
Federal Polytechnic Bauchi’s Rector, Sani Usman, added that the institution is committed to training students in technical and entrepreneurial skills that will drive Nigeria from a consumption-based to a production-driven economy.
He noted that such efforts are essential to sustaining industrialization, as graduates who possess practical skills can become the backbone of a self-sufficient economy.
