Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, urged young graduates to complement their academic qualifications with farming and vocational skills as viable paths to personal and national development.
Speaking through Florence Obi, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, at the 36th convocation of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Tinubu highlighted the changing employment landscape.
“The era of abundant white-collar jobs is over,” he stated. “I encourage you to explore opportunities in agriculture, vocational training, and information technology to enhance your value and contribute to the nation.”
Tinubu also underscored the importance of quality education in driving Nigeria’s economic progress, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to educational growth. He noted that federal universities have been repositioned to focus on research that addresses the nation’s pressing challenges.
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“Education is a major fulcrum for national development; it is a catalyst for alleviating poverty and promoting economic growth and development.
“This fact remains sacrosanct for my administration, hence the inclusion of education among the eight priority areas, which include economy, security, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and health.
“To further underscore the federal government’s commitment towards tertiary education, we established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund dedicated to granting students fees and personal upkeep loans.
“A total of N33 billion was made available to start the programme, which commenced this year with six pilot universities from each of the geopolitical zones,” he stated.
Tinubu added that the federal government has made significant investments in upgrading the facilities and infrastructure of FUTO.
At the ceremony, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, and Borno State Governor Babangida Zulum were awarded honorary doctorate degrees.
(NAN)
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