Members of the House of Representatives and key stakeholders have thrown their weight behind a landmark bill seeking to establish vocational training centres across all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria, in a bid to tackle youth unemployment and foster grassroots industrialisation.

The bill, currently under consideration alongside seven related proposals, received widespread support during a public hearing convened by the House Committee on Alternative Education.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ibrahim Almustapha, stressed the urgency of equipping Nigeria’s youthful population with technical and entrepreneurial skills fit for a fast-evolving global economy.

“The establishment of these centres is not just a policy initiative, it is a commitment to the future of our nation,” Almustapha stated. “Vocational and entrepreneurial skill acquisition is the bedrock of development. We must harness our human capital to drive economic self-reliance.”

He decried the current state of vocational education in Nigeria, noting that despite the country’s demographic advantage, the sector has failed to produce the desired outcomes due to underinvestment and poor coordination.

Contributing to the debate, Hon. Alex Ikwechegh (Aba North/South Federal Constituency) emphasised the need for adequate funding for already existing vocational centres, many of which he said are underutilised due to resource constraints. “Let’s not build new structures and forget the old ones. We need to revamp what we have and ensure they function optimally,” he said.

Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, urged a more contextual approach. “We must assess the specific needs of each LGA. In some places, other institutions might be of higher priority than vocational centres,” he noted.

However, Hon. Olatunji Akinosi hailed the bill as a turning point in Nigeria’s development trajectory, calling it “one of the most important bills of the 10th National Assembly.”

“The obsession with paper qualifications is holding us back. In the nations we admire, China, the US, the UK, Germany, technical competence is the currency of progress,” Akinosi said. “We must now shift from credentialism to capacity.”

Other stakeholders present at the hearing echoed similar sentiments, expressing confidence that the bill, if passed into law, would energise youth entrepreneurship, address structural unemployment, and advance Nigeria’s quest for inclusive industrialisation.

The bill is expected to move to the committee stage for further scrutiny before being presented for third reading and passage by the House.