By Olamilekan FAWAS
The World Bank has said it would partner with Kwara State Government in the areas of technical and vocational education to empower youths through entrepreneur-ship and vocational training.
A Senior Education Specialist with the bank, Dr Tunde Adekola, disclosed this at Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara during World Bank’s working visit to International Vocational, Technical and Entrepreneur-ship College (IVTEC) Ajase-Ipo.
Adekola told newsmen after the World Bank team was conducted round the facilities and departments in IVTEC that the team had expressed satisfaction with facilities on ground at the college.
He said the state government’s efforts at reforming technical and vocational education was in tandem with World Bank’s agenda in building human capital development.
The senior education specialist said the visit was to explore opportunities to support the Kwara Government in the area of skill development, technical and vocational training.
He said the team was in Ajase-Ipo as a return visit to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed after the bank’s visit sometime last year, where the governor signified interest in the areas of technical and vocational training.
According to him, the World Bank is ready to widen the scope of innovations to improve technical training in Nigeria.
He added that the World Bank would help Kwara State to increase the base of technical and vocational training to accommodate more students who would add value to the society.
Adekola noted that the level of support World Bank would give would, however, depend on the level of creativity and innovative values the benefiting state had put in place.
He, therefore, expressed confidence that the partnership would go a long way in creating jobs for teeming youths in the state.
The Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajiya Bilkis Oniyangi, expressed hope that the World Bank would integrate what they met on ground.
She assured that the state government would do everything possible to put in place Public Private Partnership arrangement.
According to her, this will facilitate quick participation of World Bank in the vocational and skill acquisition development at the college.
