In a significant move to address the persistent challenges of poverty, unemployment, and the skills gap in Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will inaugurate a three-day National Conference organized by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Think Tank, The Progressive Institute (TPI), on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
Themed "Vocational Skills Acquisition, Entrepreneurship, and Challenges of Development in Nigeria," the conference will take place at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and run until Thursday, December 19, 2024.
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, APC National Chairman and chief host of the event, emphasized the conference as an intervention by the APC leadership to complement federal efforts in tackling youth unemployment and bridging the disconnect between academic qualifications and industry requirements. "TPI will assemble experts and practitioners to offer empirical and creative solutions, which will be submitted to the Federal Government for consideration and implementation," Dr. Ganduje remarked.
The Director-General of TPI, Dr. Lanre Adebayo, highlighted the policy-driven focus of the conference, targeting advanced vocational sectors such as construction technologies, digital innovation, mining, maritime skills, sustainable agriculture, and climate-related advancements. Dr. Adebayo also noted the importance of drawing lessons from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, which successfully transformed their economies through vocational expertise.
The conference will also feature discussions on revising Nigeria’s educational curriculum to strengthen vocational training and integrating cooperative models to empower small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). Foreign and local experts from countries like Britain and China will present papers, with some offering support to establish Zonal Skills Acquisition Centers across Nigeria.
Notable participants include Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, the Bank of Industry, Federal Ministries of Science, Youth, and Women Affairs, and other key organizations.
The Progressive Institute promises a groundbreaking event aimed at fostering economic empowerment and sustainable development across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
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