Obaseki attributes youth unemployment to nation’s faulty educational system

EState Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has attributed the high rate of youth unemployment in the country to faulty educational policy and system.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Project, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement yesterday, quoted Obaseki as saying this when he received Air Commodore Chidibere Obinna Obiabaka, who led Nigeria Study Tour participants from Armed Forces Command and Staff College on a courtesy visit to Government House in Benin City.

The team is one of the eight groups currently on tour of selected states of the Federation as part of this year’s Nigeria Armed Forces Command and Staff College Environmental Study Tour for students of Senior Course 45.

Obaseki said human capacity development, especially in the educational sector, is key to growth and development, noting that his administration is resetting the state’s educational system, starting from the foundation.

He said: “To check the growing tide of unemployment in the nation, my administration redirected its priority and investment to create hope for the future of our youths and education is the platform we utilise.

“Our biggest problem today in Nigeria is that people are not trained for production and that is the fundamental problem. Youth unemployment has been created by a faulty educational policy and educational system. Until we fix that, we will not go far.

“In 2016, the state had a major crisis of human trafficking and irregular migration. At that time, we had over 30,000 young men and women in Libya trying to cross to Europe. But as an administration, we embarked on several programmes, including resetting the educational sector to correct this trend in the state. We have very inspirational youths as a nation, who are very ambitious and doing everything to travel out of this country, taking all kinds of risks to leave the nation.”

Earlier, leader of the delegation, Air Commodore Obiabaka, appauded new developments in the state, describing Obaseki as a man of vision and resilience.

“I am overwhelmed by your development style and will continue to visit the state and enjoy the hospitality, peace and calm nature ,” he said.

PHOTO: MICHAEL EGBEJULE Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital ( UBTH), Prof. Darlington Obaseki ( left); Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, UNIBEN, Prof. Ray Ozolua; Andy Odeh, Representative of MD/ CEO, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas ( NLNG), Dr. Philip Mshelbila; and Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria during the commissioning of a 15- bed Intensive Care Unit ( ICU), sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited Hospital Support Programme to UBTH in Benin City, Edo State

Azikel Group presenting gift items for flood victims in Bayelsa State