The Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria alumni has honoured Kaduna state Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i, and Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli with award of excellence during its 14th Annual General Assembly (AGA) Lecture held at Kongo Conference Hotel, Zaria on Friday.
Blueprint reports that the Lecture was preparatory to the association’s AGA during which election of new officials will would be staged.
In her lecture titled ” The Role of Universities in Nation building” the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Gajiya Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed as the guest Lecturer tasked University system to take the lead in redesigning and reshaping school curriculum to enable it lay more emphasis on skills rather than certificates.
The Minister observed that this became imperative because what the global communities were looking for now was the skills not the certificates.
“It does matter whether you have a certificate as a medical doctor, an accountant or an architect but what skills and competencies you can bring to bear. So it has to be the university system that drives this reform of the education curriculum in our country.
“Some our neighboring countries, just Ghana down the road ensure that every person that completes Secondary school comes out with a skills whether it is tailoring, hairdressing or carpentry,” she stated.
The Minister emphasised that Nigeria has to shift attention towards technical education and skills acquisition even as it refine and upgrade standards in acquiring core certificates.
According to her, “I firmly believe that our collective achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union development hinges in part on whether we are able to sustainably strengthen our universities and other tertiary institutions.
“This is particularly true as the 4th industrial revolution has great potential to drive global transformation and innovation in the education sector and beyond.”
Mrs Ahmed noted that there are increasing demands for quality tertiary education as a result of the efforts to expand access to primary and secondary education.
The Minister called for university system to help the citizen and ensure that girl child get better and sound education.
Earlier speaking as Chairman of the occasion, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Boss Gida Mustapha said the national executive council of the ABU alumni has set a very standard for other alumni associations within the country to emulate.
Mustapha represented by Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development commended the association for giving a loan of laptop computers to students under the computer loan scheme.
In his remarks Governor, Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-rufai, said it was timely to engage in the role of the universities in nation building, adding that it was an aspect of great concern to the growth of education and national development.
The governor who was represented by state Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr Toma Gyang, said the state government has developed outstanding records of commitment in education reforms.
He added that the state has a strategic plan aimed at improving the quality of education for better learning outcomes across all levels of education.
