By Amos Aar
THE BENUE State Government has announced plans to establish 11 technical colleges in each federal constituency as part of efforts to enhance skills acquisition and technical education in the state.
The Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr. Frederick Ikyaan, disclosed this during the maiden edition of the One Benue Conference held in Makurdi. He stated that the initiative, led by Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, aims to revive practical education and reduce youth unemployment.
Dr. Ikyaan stressed the need to shift from conventional theoretical education to a more technical-oriented approach. “We have been speaking grammar from 1960 till now, and it has amounted to nothing. It is therefore correct that we go back to technical education,” he said.
He added that the federal government recently recommended that 90% of schools should focus on technical education, leaving only 10% as traditional grammar schools. In line with this directive, Benue State plans to convert several existing secondary schools into technical colleges and upgrade them to meet modern educational standards.
The Commissioner assured that the government is taking deliberate steps to ensure the successful implementation of the plan, stressing that the long-term impact will benefit the state beyond the current administration.
