…to advance TVET in Nigeria’s Federal polytechnics
A leading Italian company, De Lorenzo SPA, has donated various E-learning softwares to five polytechnics across the country.
The E-learning software solutions donated through its local partner, Whitecloud TVET Solutions, cover the fields of Automation, Robotic, Electrical Machines and Artificial Intelligence.
The CEO of De Lorenzo SPA (Italy), Dr Matteo Prosperi, made these donations during the unveiling ceremony of the Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, in partnership with the International Vocational Education and Training Association (IVETA) USA, held at the Yar’Adua Memorial Centre, Abuja, on Monday, November 13, 2023.
Prosperi described his company’s gesture as “a start of what I hope will be a long-term collaboration in the development of highly skilled technicians and engineers needed for the twenty first century, and the continued diversified industrialisation of Nigeria.”
Matteo stated that since his organisation’s foundation in 1951, De Lorenzo had continuously maintained focus and attention on manufacturing high quality didactic equipment and solutions.
He further emphasised on his organisation’s international experience in over 150 countries of working directly with different universities, technical and vocational training institutions, buttressing De Lorenzo’s readiness to support Universities, Polytechnics, and other TVET institutions in Nigeria to become one of the leaders in TVET skills across the globe.
Matteo also posited that TVET is the key tool for productivity enhancement and the backbone of industrialisation, adding that for this to be achieved correctly and efficiently, it was imperative to have the right adapted technical training equipment.
The De Lorenzo CEO, therefore, confirmed his company’s readiness to work with the Committee and the Ministry of Education as well as relevant TVET institutions in developing and providing technical training equipment and solutions (including teacher training) that are adapted to the different technical teaching curriculum.
He noted that legislation plays pivotal roles in the formulation of workable TVET policies and its implementation.
Matteo, therefore, stressed the importance of the Committee at a time that skills development is one of the major instruments for sustainable technological and economic development.
He assured the Committee, the Ministry of Education, and TVET institutions of his organisation’s support for advancing TVET in Nigeria, thanking the leadership of the 10th Assembly for setting a new pace for TVET advancement and development through legislation, which he described as a key strategy in the implementation of quality TVET globally.
He also commended the Chairman and members of the Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education for demonstrating knowledge and the engagement of both local and international TVET stakeholders and experts to support the advocacy and improvement of TVET in Nigeria.
Matteo further noted that his donations of the different E-learning softwares were to set a new pace of technological advancement in TVET.
He disclosed that the letter conveying the details of the donation of the E-Learning Softwares was presented to the Chairman, House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education by De Lorenzo’s local partner in Nigeria, Mr Oluranti Jasper Netufo, President, Whitecloud TVET Solutions Ltd, thereby opening the window of strategic international collaboration for the advancement of TVET in Nigeria.
Delivering a goodwill message from President Bola Tinubu, his Senior Special Assistant on Technical Vocational and Entrepreneurship, Mrs Abiola Arogundade, underscored the President’s commitment to improving the nation’s technical education sector by giving it the necessary attention.
She also highlighted some of the programmes already lined up by the government to include the upgrading of the infrastructure of secondary and tertiary vocation systems, developing a national vocational teacher training curriculum as well as initiating programmes, rebranding and restructuring it of polytechnics as well as developing sectoral capacity development curriculum, among others.
Arogundade also described the establishment of the House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education by the 10th House of Representatives as a positive indication that the Green Chamber, and by extension, the National Assembly, is ready to partner with the Executive in engaging the nation’s teeming youths in productive skills acquisition, which she said is the major focus of the mandate of the President Tinubu-led administration.
“Globally, technical, vocational and entrepreneurship education has assumed a place of priority in government policies as the foundation for employment creation. It therefore gladdens my heart that the House and its Committee will be providing the necessary legislative support, oversight and supervision required to build a sustainable ecosystem for technical, vocational and entrepreneurship education to thrive in Nigeria,” she said.
Some of the dignitaries who attended the ceremony were the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu; Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Polytechnic and Technical Education, Hon Aguye Suleiman Danladi; Deputy Whip, House of Representatives, Hon Adewumi Onanuga; and Founder, Haraya Foundation, Mrs Eka Sumonu.
