Senate moves to establish Fed. college of Skills Acquisition &Technology Agulu
By Haruna Salami
The Senate on Wednesday at plenary passed to second reading, a Bill for an Act to establish Federal college of Skills Acquisition and Technology Agulu in Anambra State.
The Bill which is sponsored by Senator Victor Chukwunonyelu Umeh (Anambra Central)was unanimously supported by overwhelming majority of Senators present at the plenary.
In his submission, Senator Umeh recalled that the Bill was read the first time in this Hallowed Chamber of the Senate on Wednesday, 3rd of July, 2024.
According to him,”The Acquisition of Technical and Technological Skills is a major requirement for the Advancement and Development of any Nation.
“Empowering our Youths through Technical and Technological Education is a sure way of curtailing Unemployment.
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“Nigeria today ranks among Nations with very high level of Youth Unemployment.We have Millions of youths idling away without any visible means of Livelihood.
This has significantly contributed to the high level of Insecurity in the Country as there is a saying that an Idle Mind is a Devil’s Workshop.”
Continuing Sen Umeh said,”These Idle youths can be salvaged through empowering them with Technical Skills which can help them to be employed in the Construction Industry and possibly be self employed.
“It is for these reasons that this Bill seeks to establish a College where technical skills can be acquired in Sundry Services like; Bricklaying, Electrical Installations, Plastering, Roofing, Plumbing, Painting, Cooling Systems/Refrigeration, Carpentry, Steel Fabrications, Welding, Ceiling POPs, Iron Bending and Fitting Indeed,the list is endless.People with these skills are the backbone of the Construction Industry in any Nation.
“Nigeria can leverage on Establishing Colleges where these Skills can be acquired as a means of creating job Opportunities for our Teeming Large Youth Population.
Indeed, Nigeria needs not less than 5,000 of such Colleges.
In America and other developed Countries of the World, great emphasis is placed on Skill Acquisition among the Youths, particularly those not in pursuit of Degrees in Tertiary Institutions.
“They are known as Handyman and they render Services in diverse Areas enumerated above. They are certified and properly registered and Coordinated.”
In their contributions Senators Tony Nwoye, Adams Ohiomole, Francis Onyewuchi Ezenwa and others articulated the gains of the establishment of the Skill Acquisition and Technology to the teeming army of unemployed youth in the country.
When the President of the Senate represented by Sen Jibril Barau put the passage of the Bill to second reading, the yeahs had it and he directed the Bill to committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND for further legislative consideration.
