The Minister of National Planning Commission [NPC], Abubakar Sulaiman, has tasked tertiary institutions in the country to evolve, harmonise and articulate curriculum that would address the challenges of unemployment and skill gaps in Nigeria.
Sulaiman, who stated this in Abuja, when he played host to a delegation of senior management staff of BAZE University, led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Micheal Hodd, on a courtesy visit to his office.
According to him, “Private Institutions like Baze University has an important role to play. We must rise to the occasion to take education to the desired level where our Nigerian graduates can favourably compete with their counterpart globally.
“We must bridge the gaps between what we teach in class and the skills required to perform the jobs”
He said the Federal Government was ready to collaborate with institutions of higher learning to chart a course for better education system that is tailored towards Nigeria’s specific needs without losing sight of the global best practices.
He explained that the NPC has the statutory mandate of coordinating all the sectors of the economy through the provision of long, medium and short term plans.
The minister further explained that Nigeria’s Vision20: 2020, which is the development blueprint for the country, has an integral part of its first pillar, the need for skills development as a platform to achieve the aspiration of Nigeria to become one of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020.
