Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, has referred to as on Nigerian universities to urgently overhaul their educational system by inserting better emphasis on sensible expertise, innovation and entrepreneurship slightly than the mere acquisition of certificates.
Okonkwo mentioned the nation’s greater schooling establishments should produce graduates geared up with competencies that handle real-world challenges, enhance employability and drive nationwide improvement.
He made the decision on Tuesday whereas delivering the 14th Convocation Lecture of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), titled “Functional Education and the Nigerian Project: Strategic Human Capital Development for National Renewal,” on the Alfa Belgore Multipurpose Hall, Ado-Ekiti.
According to him, the relevance of schooling ought to now not be measured by the variety of certificates awarded however by graduates’ means to remedy issues, create worth and contribute meaningfully to financial development.
He advocated a transition from content-based instructing to competency-driven studying that develops vital considering, creativity, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, moral management and sensible problem-solving skills.
Okonkwo confused that authorities and universities should make investments extra in technical and vocational schooling, fashionable laboratories, engineering workshops, analysis amenities and different infrastructure able to exposing college students to sensible experiences related to their professions.
The United Nigeria Airlines chairman additionally urged stronger collaboration between universities, industries and authorities to guarantee educational programmes stay aligned with labour market realities and rising financial alternatives.
He mentioned such partnerships would offer college students with sensible office expertise earlier than commencement, improve their employability and stimulate indigenous innovation and expertise improvement.
Highlighting United Nigeria Airlines’ collaboration with ABUAD, Okonkwo mentioned college students of the college’s Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering programme at the moment bear six months of commercial coaching on the airline’s engineering facility in Lagos, the place they obtain hands-on expertise in plane upkeep, avionics, aviation security {and professional} engineering follow.
He challenged extra non-public sector organisations to set up related partnerships by way of internships, apprenticeships, analysis collaborations and expertise switch initiatives.
Okonkwo additional referred to as on universities to commercialise analysis outputs, stressing that greater establishments ought to transfer past data technology to producing sensible options able to addressing Nigeria’s developmental challenges.
Responding, Founder of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), mentioned the lecture strengthened his long-held concern over the disconnect between college schooling and the sensible expertise graduates require after leaving college.
Babalola urged the Federal Government to overview college curricula to guarantee graduates purchase skilled competencies able to making them job creators slightly than job seekers.
He additionally advocated stricter regulatory measures within the approval of personal universities, insisting that licensing authorities ought to conduct thorough bodily inspections to confirm the supply of sufficient infrastructure earlier than granting operational licences.
The authorized icon disclosed that he had constituted a panel comprising eight vice-chancellors to advocate further measures for strengthening ABUAD’s educational requirements.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of ABUAD, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, described the convocation lecture as a well timed platform for analyzing how schooling can higher develop the abilities, character and revolutionary capability required for Nigeria’s sustainable improvement.
She recommended Okonkwo and United Nigeria Airlines for supporting sensible schooling by way of their partnership with the college and referred to as for sustained collaboration between academia and business to produce graduates able to assembly the calls for of the trendy economic system.
