The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (SSAP-TVEE), Madam Abiola Arogundade, Tuesday met with the Moroccan Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission, Mr. Mohammed Amane Tiyal, in continuation of her search for training partners towards achieving the Presidential mandate of upscaling the skills of the country’s workforce.
At the meeting, which took place in her office in Asokoro, Madam Arogundade said Nigeria is willing to partner countries that are advanced in skills so as to achieve the mandate of her office in upgrading the percentage of highly skilled workforce from its current 15 percent to 50 percent.
The SSAP-TVEE, who said the mandate also include contributing to the Presidential mandate of training five million Nigerians annually in various skill sets, added that her office is also going to build centres of excellence across the country where people could learn skills and trades including agro-business, engineering, construction, tailoring, shoemaking among others.
Reiterating that the purpose is to give Nigerians the skills that could empower them to develop and make a living for themselves, the SSAP-TVEE told her guest, “So we want to partner with you and see where you can come in and help us in terms of expertise in what we are doing and what we have already done”.
“Sometimes we need help in trainings that we want to do here in Nigeria. Sometimes we need help in the training courses themselves and sometimes we need help in the trainers from more advanced countries that have more advanced skills and technologies”, she said adding that the purpose of the government is to bring such skills into the country..
Expressing delight at the visit of the Moroccan envoy, the SSAP-TVEE further declared , “We are looking at where our two countries can work together to achieve our mandate and develop our skills in the next four years. So, we really look forward to the areas we can partner with you and. specifically what we can do together to achieve our mandate”.
In his remarks, the Moroccan envoy, who expressed joy at the growing interest of the Nigerian government towards Technical and vocational education pointed out that the Moroccan government has been sponsoring projects and programmes in Nigeria especially in the areas of education and agriculture.
Responding to the requests of the SSAP-TVEE in terms of training partnership and expertise, the Deputy Head of Mission requested the list of areas of Nigeria’s skill needs. He also promised to provide her with the list of his country’s areas of core competence as well as make the necessary connections with the training experts.
