Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged stakeholders across government and the private sector to unite in driving the administration’s skills acquisition agenda, stressing that the era of working in isolation is over.
Speaking on Tuesday during the 7th meeting of the National Council on Skills (NCS) at the Presidential Villa, Shettima described the skills revolution as a central pillar of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a covenant with the Nigerian people on human capital development.
The Vice President commended Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for setting up and chairing the first Kaduna State Council on Skills, noting that the move is exemplary and should be replicated by other states.
“The era of operating in silos is over. We must move towards a streamlined workflow that embeds collaboration directly into curriculum development and funding,” Shettima said, adding that the reforms would benefit artisans, mid-career workers, and technical colleges nationwide.
He thanked members of the National Council on Skills for their commitment, while stressing that institutional friction in Nigeria’s skills ecosystem remains an obstacle to national progress. According to him, building a workforce prepared for the future requires unity and collaboration across agencies and ministries.
Governor Uba Sani, in his remarks, disclosed that the Kaduna Vocational and Skills Development Institute recently admitted more than 30,000 students, and thanked the Vice President for his support.
Also speaking, Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, commended Governor Sani for facilitating President Tinubu’s commissioning of the state’s Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development. He said the ministry has directed technical colleges to focus exclusively on relevant courses in line with the government’s skills acquisition drive.