The Chancellor of the Ekiti State University, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, has called for increased investment in the technical colleges established by the Ekiti State Government to equip young people with practical skills for the future economy.
Olowolafe made the call while delivering the lead paper, “The Path to Ekiti’s Greatness: Opportunities, Choices, and Imperatives for the Next 30 Years,” at the Ekiti at 30 Future Summit.
He commended the state government for establishing the six technical colleges, describing the initiative as a key foundation for developing the skills needed to drive economic growth and create jobs for young people.
The EKSU Chancellor, however, said the institutions needed expansion and strengthening through modern curricula, improved infrastructure, better equipment, and enhanced human capacity.
He identified solar installation, welding, fabrication, machinery repair, food processing, and other technical trades as areas that could equip young people with practical skills for sustainable livelihoods.
Olowolafe also advocated recruiting master vocational instructors from countries with advanced technical education systems, including Switzerland, Germany, Canada and South Africa, to train teachers and expose students to international standards.
“We must expand this capacity by modernising the curriculum and directly hiring master vocational instructors from nations with elite technical education systems, such as Switzerland, Germany, Canada and South Africa, to train our faculty and connect our colleges digitally to clients and employers everywhere,” he said.
The medical doctor-turned-industrialist further pledged to partner with the state government to establish modern, upgraded and solar-powered Information and Communication Technology centres in the six technical colleges.
He also offered to support the introduction of foreign expertise into vocational training in the state.
Olowolafe proposed partnerships with international mining schools to develop EKSU’s Geology Department into a world-class institution within five years.
He said Ekiti’s educational advantage must be matched with investments in emerging technologies, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure to position the state for the global economy.
The entrepreneur identified artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, automation and new energy systems as areas that would increasingly shape the global economy, urging Ekiti to prepare its young people to take advantage of the opportunities.
He described the Ekiti Knowledge Zone as a major initiative that could connect young people and technology ventures in the state with opportunities in global markets.
According to him, the project, conceived under former Governor Kayode Fayemi and being implemented by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, would enable young people to build technology-based businesses from Ekiti while serving clients in Nigeria and abroad.
Olowolafe also called for the development of renewable-energy-powered microgrids across the state’s 177 wards to provide electricity for schools, health centres, workshops and small businesses.
He said collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency could accelerate the initiative, adding that reliable energy is critical to education, healthcare, enterprise and industrial development.
The EKSU Chancellor also challenged scientists and skilled artisans to develop solar-powered cocoa-drying equipment to modernise cocoa processing and boost the state’s capacity for wealth creation and foreign exchange earnings.
Olowolafe commended successive governors, leaders and other stakeholders for their contributions to Ekiti’s development over the past three decades, particularly in education.
Credit: Thenation
