By Yemi Itodo

Chief (Dr.) Sylva Ameh, the new Board Chairman of Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo, has identified shortage of Polytechnic education and inadequate skills training as one of the hindrances to industrialisation in Nigeria.

Chief Ameh expressed this concern yesterday in Abuja, after being inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, alongside other Board members of the newly established Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria.

According to him, the number of Polytechnics in the country was not enough to provide cognate education for the teeming students who should become the technical manpower of the nation, adding that the existing institutions also needed to be sufficiently equipped.

"Let me say very quickly, that polytechnics in Nigeria are not enough. As at today, we have 131 polytechnics in Nigeria, including the ones that have been inaugurated today. And the polytechnic we are bringing on table is to create relevant education for the teeming youths in this country, what we are bringing to table in particular, will be for industrialisation of this country.

"We are talking of Nigeria being a giant of Africa, how do we be giant of Africa, if we don't go into industrialisation. We have to go into industrialisation to improve the economy, what the polytechnic will bring to the table will be to train and provide middle level manpower to run the industries.

"The manpower we are going to bring to the table will be graduates of Polytechnic, who will not go to the streets looking for office jobs, they will be graduates that will work on their own", he said.

Chief Ameh, a vast technocrat, who has served as Federal Director of Account and Finance in over 13 Ministries, pledged to bring his experience to bear, in making the new Polytechnic in Enugu a citadel of technical education, indeed.

He added that, "the Polytechnic is situated in Ohodo, in eastern region, I'm proud to say that the Igbos who occupy that region are gifted with natural acumen for production and I want to make Ohodo to be an institution that will produce graduates that will make the eastern region economic hub for production".

Speaking separately after the inauguration ceremony, former Governor of Bauchi State, Major General Chris Garuba (Rt.), immediate past Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Arc. Sonny Echono, former Minister of State for Niger Delta, Hon. Sam Ode, National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Prof. Dickson Akoh and others, pledged their support to the new Polytechnic board, to enable them succeed in the new assignment.

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