The Ogun State Head of Service, Kehinde Onasanya, has reaffirmed the pivotal role of vocational skills in Nigeria’s economic growth, underscoring that promoters of technical and vocational training remain critical drivers of national development.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of students of the Peter Akinola Foundation Youth Centre for Industrial Training in Abeokuta, Onasanya highlighted vocational education as a dependable pathway to self-reliance and wealth creation, especially in a society where white-collar job prospects are shrinking.
He noted that the civil service has reached its absorption capacity and can no longer accommodate the surge of graduates produced yearly by tertiary institutions. “Vocational training has continued to fill the employment gap by empowering youths to create jobs rather than waiting endlessly for opportunities that may never come,” Onasanya remarked.
Commending the Peter Akinola Foundation for raising the standard of technical and vocational education, he stressed that the Ogun State Government remains “firmly committed to vocational learning as a powerful instrument for individual empowerment, innovation, and long-term economic development.”
Onasanya further described the ceremony as more than a graduation event, calling it “a celebration of perseverance, resilience, and determination—qualities that equip the graduates to shape their futures and contribute positively to society.”
Citing the initiatives of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration, the Head of Service referenced the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programme as a catalyst for enhancing youth employability and entrepreneurship. He recalled the 2024 World Bank–supported TVET scholarship that empowered 1,000 girls, which he said marked a milestone in expanding vocational opportunities across the state.
He urged the new graduates to stay disciplined and embrace continuous learning, while applauding the foundation’s founder, Dr Peter Akinola, for his relentless commitment to building the centre into a hub for professional development and industrial manpower.
Enjoying this article? Share it with your network!
In his address, Akinola explained that the centre was created to transform raw talent into excellence, nurturing young Nigerians into professionals and entrepreneurs. He emphasised that the training model was deliberately designed to tackle unemployment and bridge the country’s widening skills gap.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu—represented by Permanent Secretary, Oluwatosin Oloko—praised the foundation for “teaching youths how to fish instead of handing out fish.” He stressed that functional education must integrate vocational training, as it remains directly tied to economic advancement. Arigbabu also disclosed that the government had upgraded eight technical colleges across the state to further embed practical skills into learning.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board, Dr Olayinka Elemide, lauded vocational training as a breeding ground for innovation and empowerment, affirming its relevance to national progress.
Two graduates, Kehinde Grace and Yahaya Martins, expressed gratitude to the foundation and their sponsors, noting that the programme had set them firmly on the path to independence and prosperity.
The event further reinforced Ogun State’s position as a strong advocate for technical and vocational education, showcasing its transformative potential in reducing unemployment, empowering youths, and accelerating sustainable economic growth.
