Date: 2017-11-22

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has commended the foresight of the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed for establishing the International Vocational Technical and Entrepreneurship College (IVTEC).

Osinbajo gave the commendation on Tuesday while commissioning the College located at Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun local government area of the state. He described IVTEC as one of the major projects any government could undertake.

The VP noted that the programmes and curriculum of the college were tailored towards the exact needs of the country adding that Nigeria needed an industrial base to maximise potential and talents of the youths for optimal local production.

Prof. Osinbajo disclosed that the vision for the establishment of the college is in accordance with the agenda of the Buhari-led administration of producing what the country consumes and lamented that the country had, before now, lacked technical centres tailored around existing talents of Nigerian youths and needs of the country.

Osinbajo, therefore, assured that the federal government will support and canvass for the replication of IVTEC in all the states of the federation as he called on other state governments to emulate Kwara state government on the project.

Earlier in his address, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed disclosed that the College was purposefully established to equip youths with skills for self-reliance, tackle unemployment, and ease access to vocational training of international standard for students from a variety of skills and educational backgrounds.

He added that globally, technical, vocational and entrepreneurship education has been identified as critical to growth, especially industrialization.

The governor further said that it is the resolve of his government to make Kwara a net exporter of vocational and technical skills once local needs have been met and thus make Nigeria the hub of vocational skills in West Africa.