Nasarawa State governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has restated the commitment of his administration to promote technical and vocational education, as a means of providing employment to the teeming unemployed youths in the state.
The governor made this known while commissioning the new state office complex of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), in Lafia, on Thursday.
While noting that Nigeria is presently among top five countries with the highest unemployment rates in the world, with Nasarawa State also facing challenges of unemployment, the Governor, said his administration is committed to training people who are employable and can employ themselves.
According to Engineer Sule, the unemployment challenge in the state, especially of youths and adults, is such that government alone, may not be able to address that, hence the need to promote technical and vocational education.
He said the state government donated the land for the construction of the state secretariat of COREN, because of the significance his administration attaches to the engineering profession, as well as stimulate development of engineering in the state.
“This is one of the cardinal focus of this administration on laying solid foundation for socio-economic and industrial development of the state and indeed, the country at large,” he stated.
Engineer Sule commended COREN for the completing its secretariat, adding that the edifice will certainly provide the conducive atmosphere for efficient and effective executions of the functions of COREN in the state.
He pointed out that, with the establishment of the faculty of engineering at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), the emerging challenge of engineering practice will soon be a thing of the past and that it will also go a long way in enhancing a number of indigenous engineers.
Elated by the news of another new faculty of engineering taking off at the Federal University Lafia, the governor said his administration will partner with FULAFIA, towards ensuring that the engineering faculty becomes effective and efficient.
Engineer Sule however appealed to the people of the state on the need to find out the essence of establishing COREN office, so that they can take maximum advantage of it.
Earlier, President of COREN, Engineer Ali Rabiu, said with the commissioning of the office complex, engineering practitioners and stakeholders, will realise that COREN has come to Nasarawa State to ensure that henceforth, only excellence will be accepted in the practice of engineering.
Engineer Rabiu disclosed that the newly commissioned office, will serve as central coordinating point for the Engineering Regulations Monitoring (ERM), serving also as central point for stakeholders to lodge their complaints and requests.
