The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) on Monday called on National Universities Commission (NUC) to overhaul the curriculum used in teaching entrepreneurship courses in the nation’s universities..
The Executive Vice Chairman NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna, canvassed this at the ground breaking of the permanent site of its Skills Development Centre and North Central Science and Engineering Integrated Laboratory, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Haruna, who is also the Chief Executive of the agency, said most tertiary institutions in the country had no qualified lecturers and the enabling environment to teach entrepreneurship.
The NASENI boss explained that entrepreneurship was a practical course taught only by practicing entrepreneurs.
He said that experts in management sciences and marketing with no training in entrepreneurship were not competent enough to teach entrepreneurship courses.
Prof. Haruna assured that NASENI skills development centres across the country would collaborate with willing tertiary institutions in their catchment areas to bridge the manpower gap.
He said that the inauguration of NASENI skills development centre, Keffi symbolised government’s commitment to the development of technology base for the nation.
Haruna said the centre would serve as a knowledge transfer centre for the development of traditional design technology and standardisation.
This, according to him, is aimed at quality control with a view to enhancing the marketability of products developed by adopting indigenous technology and methods.
“This in turn will facilitate job creation and economic empowerment of our teeming populace especially youths.
“The establishment of Keffi skills centre will also complement the efforts of both the state and federal governments on job creation.
“For peace to prevail in any society, citizens, particularly the youth, must be meaningfully engaged and gainfully employed through capacity building for the generation of job opportunities”, he said.
He said the establishment of the skills development centres across the country would also help the nation to leapfrog into the 4th industrial revolution.
“We cannot afford to be left behind as low technology base is the bane of underdevelopment”, he said.
The NASENI boss commended the efforts of Nasarawa state government in reviving crafts schools and Technical Colleges for skills acquisition, which he described as ‘must’ for industrial development.
Earlier, the Emir of Keffi, Dr Shehu Yamusa III, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and NASENI for the establishment of the agency’s skills development centre in the area
The traditional ruler said that the centre would go a long way to reduce youth unemployment in Keffi in particular and Nasarawa state in general.
Also, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Keffi Chapter, expressed gratitude of Keffi Youth to Buhari administration for its numerous youth empowerment programmes since assumption of office.