By joshua 
By Ali Atabor
A University Don, Prof. Stephen Ikani Ocheni says technical education and innovation play crucial role in the industrialization and sustainable economic development of any nation.
Prof. Ocheni stated this today while delivering a lecture at the maiden convention of the Alumni Association of Federal Polytechnic, Idah in Kogi State.
The guest Lecturer whose paper was entitled, “Nigeria Economic Transformation: The role of Technical Education, asserted that science, technology and innovation influences development and determined country’s international competitiveness.
Prof. Ocheni who is also a member of the Association stressed that one of the ways to measure economic growth is through development in vocational and technical education.
According to him, African continent has the potentialities for greatness, but, however ,noted that lack of political Will has deprived the people from benefitting from its abundant resources.
Prof. Ocheni who was a former Minister of Labour and Employment, advocated strong collaboration with the private sector through Public Private Partnership arrangement to complement government efforts to address the challenge of infrastructural deficits.
The former Minister called on government to stop the discrimination against graduates of Polytechnic, saying the development is inhuman and counterproductive and should be discontinued.
Prof. Ocheni also appealed to the National Board for Technical Education to urgently embarked on resource verification of the many undesirable roadside Institutes that parade themselves as Polytechnic, adding that their continued existence is a mockery to technical education in the Country.
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