Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to prioritise technical and vocational education, establish industrial parks and reform education to drive industrialisation, create jobs and move Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to a production-based one.
Obi made the pledge in a statement issued on Wednesday, outlining what he described as his vision for a productive and prosperous Nigeria.
He said his proposed administration would focus on reforms in education and healthcare as the foundation for human capital development and sustainable economic growth.
“Central to this proposed roadmap are significant reforms in education and healthcare, which are at the core of human capital development,” Obi said.
He described human capital as critical to national development, saying, “Robust human capital is indispensable infrastructure for national progress. It serves as the fundamental capital upon which daily life, economic expansion, and the delivery of essential public services depend.”
The former Anambra State governor said one of the first actions of his administration would be to establish a task force to tackle the growing number of out-of-school children nationwide.
“From the outset of my presidency, we will establish a task force dedicated to drastically reducing the menace of out-of-school children,” he said.
Obi said his government would place greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to support large-scale industrialisation based on agriculture and value addition.
He said the plan would include the development of industrial parks across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones to strengthen production and manufacturing.
“We will place greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to support our drive for massive industrialisation, anchored on our agricultural endowments and value addition across value chains organised around industrial parks to be located in development zones across the geopolitical regions of the country,” he said.
READ ALSO:
- Nigeria Must Put Power, Industry, Exports First in Next Reforms — Yusuf
- NNPC Refineries Repair: Inside the Growing Demand for Audit Before the Chinese Move in
- Tinubu Transmits State Police Bill to Senate
- Tinubu’s $11.6bn Debt Bill Should Worry Every Nigerian – Obi
He added that funding and equipping TVET institutions through partnerships involving government, the private sector and faith-based educators would expand apprenticeship opportunities, drawing from the German dual education model.
Obi said Nigeria must address the mismatch between unemployment and the shortage of skilled workers, which has forced many Nigerian entrepreneurs to establish businesses outside the country.
“The situation in which unemployment remains high while Nigerian entrepreneurs establish businesses elsewhere because skilled labour is scarce must be confronted decisively. Doing so is essential for the common good and for facilitating our transition from a consumption-driven economy to a production-driven one,” he said.
He also said his administration would strengthen character and civic education to promote trust, leadership and shared national values.
Obi added that his overall vision is to place Nigeria on the path of unity, social justice, inclusion, sustained progress and prosperity.
Alex is a business journalist cum data enthusiast with the Pinnacle Daily. He can be reached via ealex@thepinnacleng.com, @ehime_alex on X