Federal Poly Ayede’s 2023 budget lays heavy focus on students’ multi-skills development – Rector hints

The rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Dr Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, last Thursday hinted that the institution’s budget for the coming fiscal year will focus on student’s multi-skill development to reduce the prevailing youth unemployment in the country, observing that the ugly trend is capable of threatening the security of the nation.

He urged institutions of higher learning in Nigeria to embark on aggressive multi-skills development of their students to check the menace of unemployment in the interest of the nation.

Abdul-Hameed disclosed this after receiving laptops and other items worth N6m donated by the Ogbomoso Consultative Council (OCC) and presented by its leader, a former military governor of Ogun and Oyo states, Major General Oladayo Popoola (retd), in Ogbomoso,

Emphasising the need for multi-skills development, the rector said, “If you look at our country today, many of our graduates are jobless. Are we going to continue that way? The only way out is to look inwards.

“Look at countries like Singapore, China and Japan. You will see that technical education, vocational studies and skills development are the major things and that is one of the things that I want to ensure that Federal Polytechnic, Ayede embarks on seriously and aggressively.

“That is why in our 2023 budget which I have proposed to the Federal Government of Nigeria, I have suggested that the government should build for us Students’ Multi-skills Acquisition Centre whereby students who come in, at least, will learn one or two skills before graduating from the institution.

“If that is achieved, I want to believe that our graduates will not have to rely on government jobs”, he added.

Speaking earlier at the event, former military governor of Ogun and Oyo states, Maj. General Oladayo Popoola (retd), who pledged the council’s commitment to the institution and the development of Ogbomoso communities, also noted that the institution would positively affect Ogbomoso’s economy.

“For us to have a federal institution in Ogbomoso, you can see its economic values. Look at LAUTECH today. Whenever LAUTECH is sneezing, we too are crying because a lot of people invested in businesses around it.

“So, apart from training our people, it will also create employment opportunities for them. We expect the best to come”, Popoola expressed optimism.