By Kelechi Ogunleye
Abuja, May 22, 2018 (NAN) The Chairperson, First Bank of Nigeria, Mrs Ibukun Awosika has called for adjustment of the Nigeria’s educational system to support the productivity need of the country.
Awosika made this called in a lecture with the theme, “Productivity for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth”, during the 17th National Productivity Day Awards Ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to her, Nigeria has produced graduates with certificates but it is rather unfortunate that those graduates lack the skills needed in the real sector.
“The nation was producing graduates that are not needed by employers of Labour in the country,
“We are particular about building a group of young Nigerian graduates with the required skill to contribute positively to the development of the Nigeria,” she said.
She also said that there was need to equip a large portion of the nation’s population represented by the female gender to deploy their talent for the benefit of the nation.
She noted that in every area women have been encouraged to contribute, there has been sustainable growth.
“This is because women are builders of community and society,” she said.
She, however, disagreed with signed agreements which allowed certain companies to come into the country with large manpower without any plan to develop the local skills in the interest of the country.
“Companies to come into the country with large manpower without any plan to develop the local skills in the interest of the country,
“For a lot of these bilateral agreements that we sign, we actually need to be more deliberate and more selfish in terms of what we seek to achieve as a nation.
“I think it is unacceptable, situation where we sign up agreement that allow certain companies to come into areas where we want to develop or grow as a country.
“But unfortunately, we have no human capacity development plan for those sector,” she said.
Awosika encouraged Nigeria to engage in more bilateral agreements.
She said while bringing in foreign players and partners, we must also always have the medium and long term plans to create local players. (NAN)
KAYC/JAN/AFA
Edited by Joan Nwagwu/Felix Ajide