The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) has revealed its strategic initiative to construct local technical institutes throughout the nation.

The primary objective is to empower the youth with essential skills crucial for the advancement of the country.

During the commission’s inaugural news conference on repositioning senior secondary education held in Abuja, Dr Iyela Ajayi, the Executive Secretary, emphasised the necessity of these institutes.

He underscored the urgent need for improved workshops in technical schools nationwide.

“The state of workshops in our technical schools is an area we are going to address next year. Senior secondary school is pivotal for skills acquisition, with our curriculum offering around 34 trades.

“However, many schools lack equipped workshops and adequately trained staff.”

Speaking on funding, Ajayi explained that the primary financial support for senior secondary education comes from two percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

He said in spite of not receiving funding in its two years of existence, the commission appealed to the Federal Government for the timely release of funds in 2024.

Acknowledging the challenges, he stated, “Over 80 percent of the 5.2 million senior secondary schools in the country are not under the control of the commission. Hence, collaboration with state governors is crucial to rejuvenate these schools.”

Ajayi emphasised the commission’s commitment to transparency and accountability, citing a prepared document outlining guidelines for accessing, disbursing, and utilizing the FGN/NSSEC intervention fund.

He urged the government to release the allocated two percent of the CRF to initiate vital improvements.

Responding to concerns about the adequacy of the two percent given the economic challenges, Ajayi said the commission would start from somewhere.

“Government has competing demands, we cannot ask the government to give us all the money.

”If government is giving us 10 per cent for example, what will happen to health, road, and other areas crying for government interventions.

”What we want government to do is to give us this two per cent and may be later on when the economy is good we can now demand for more,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria