Don tells FG to pay attention to Technical Education

Prof. Adeboye Olatunbosun, Head of Department of Electrical/Electronics, University of Ibadan, has called on the Federal Government to pay attention to the development of technical education in the country.

Olatunbosun made the call at the first graduation and matriculation of Leyland Technical Academy held in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday.

“I want to call on the authorities in Nigeria to emphasise technical development because a nation without formidable technical education cannot develop its economy.

“Why Nigeria is experiencing economic problem is because we are still a nation of buying and selling,” he said.

NAN reports that among the programmes being offered by the academy are Automation Engineering, Automation and Diagnostics, Industrial Boiler and Electro Pneumatic.

The university don said that a country that could not fabricate would not develop, adding that development “is all about meeting the needs of the people”.

“These needs include having good roads, health, education, transportation and power supply system,” he said.

The professor stressed the need for Nigeria to borrow a leaf from the Asian Tigers and Egyptians known for their local fabrications.

He said that the University of Ibadan was ready to partners with Leyland Technical Academy, saying “the university will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Academy.”

According to him, the MOU will be a tripartite agreement among UI, Leyland and Prototype Engineering Institution of Ilesa, Osun, to develop technical education.

Also speaking, Mr Apantaku Peter, the Registrar of the Academy, said that the graduates represent a new ray of hope for the country’s technical development.

He said that the programme offered was a testimony that the school still have the capacity to develop its technical potential.

Mr Fatokun Adedayo, Oyo State Manager of Small Medium Scale (SMEs) urged the graduating students to learn how to be self-reliant and employers of labour rather than being employees.