PRESS RELEASE:PERMANENT SECRETARY CHARGES STAKEHOLDERS TO REPOSITION EDUCATION SECTOR

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Permanent Secretary, Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa has charged stakeholders in education sector in the Territory to evolve innovative strategies that would engender the culture of skill acquisition among youths.

Mr. Ohaa, who gave the charge during the advocacy and sensitization forum on innovation enterprise institutions (IELs) on Tuesday in Abuja, also challenged FCT Education Secretariat and other stakeholders in the Territory to do more in the area of students’ counseling in order to give the students opportunity to choose careers in line with the current labour market.

His words: “I therefore challenge this forum to focus on evolving strategies that would translate into positive change in our current tertiary education services delivery system currently characterized by producing graduates for white collar jobs only.

“The forum should also focus on how to engender in our youths, the culture of creativity and skill acquisition. The Education Secretariat and other relevant stakeholders should strive to improve on counseling services in order for students to make better and more rational choices of careers that would fit into the competitive labour market. In this regard, I urge you to vigorously drive policies aimed at equipping youths with relevant skills that will drive diversification of the economy.”

The Permanent Secretary, remarked that FCT Administration has impacted tremendously the lives of residents of the Territory by meeting the educational needs of residents of the city.

“I make bold to say that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will not relent in its efforts at improving the quality of lives for residents of FCT by ensuring that our educational system is made more relevant and responsive to the socio-economic needs of the territory, he explained.”

The Permanent Secretary expressed hope that the exercise would achieve its intended purpose of sensitizing senior secondary school students across the six Area Councils of FCT on the benefits of innovative enterprise institutions, the imperative of skill acquisition for wealth and job creation, among others.

Mr. Ohaa who was full of praise for the Federal Ministry of Education for introducing the Innovative Enterprise Institutions (IELs), also called on heads of sister agencies in the FCT to support the scheme.

While delivering his welcome charge, the Acting Director of FCT Department of Higher Education, Mr. J.J. Garba implored relevant stakeholders in the education sector to sensitize the youths on the importance of IELs.

Tony Odey,Press Secretary,FCT Permanent Secretary’s Office