By Victor Nwegede.
Governor Francis Nwifuru has called for the integration of vocational and skills-based education into Nigeria’s basic education curriculum, urging a structural shift toward competence-driven learning to address rising youth unemployment.
The governor made the call on Wednesday in Abakaliki during the official flag-off of the distribution of teaching and learning materials to public basic schools across the state. The exercise, coordinated by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (EBUBEB), is aimed at strengthening foundational literacy, digital inclusion and access to quality education.
Speaking at the event, Nwifuru emphasised the need for a curriculum overhaul beginning from the upper basic level, particularly from Year Seven, to embed vocational advancement, technical proficiency and innovation-focused learning within the education system.
According to him, the current model disproportionately emphasises theoretical knowledge at the expense of practical competencies, leaving many graduates ill-equipped for labour market realities.
“The fault is not with the graduates. They studied what was offered to them. The challenge lies in the structure of the system,” he stated, stressing that education must be repositioned to equip learners with relevant skills for productivity and self-reliance.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to revitalising public schools, noting that regulatory measures had been taken against substandard private institutions to safeguard educational standards.
“In our manifesto, we pledged to make the worst public school better than the best private school. That commitment remains unwavering,” the governor said.
On the implementation of the approved ₦90,000 minimum wage for teachers, Nwifuru explained that local government allocations were currently being prioritised to offset outstanding gratuities and pension liabilities. He assured that full implementation of the new wage structure would follow the clearance of the backlog to guarantee sustainability and prompt retirement benefits.
“We are building a system where teachers receive their gratuities and pensions without delay upon retirement. That is the reform trajectory,” he added.
Representing UBEC’s Executive Secretary, the Commission’s Southeast Zonal Director, Mr Isaac Ochinwo, described the intervention as consistent with UBEC’s statutory mandate to enhance access, ensure quality assurance and strengthen monitoring mechanisms within the basic education sub-sector.
He disclosed that the consignment comprises core textbooks for nursery and primary schools, desktop computers, writing materials, classroom furniture and sporting equipment, amounting to approximately N15 million items.
“The objective is to reduce the incidence of out-of-school children, particularly among vulnerable populations, while advancing digital literacy at the foundational level,” he said.
Ochinwo added that distribution would be executed equitably across the state in partnership with EBUBEB to ensure transparency and accountability.
Earlier, the Chairman of EBUBEB, Mrs Patience Ogodo, confirmed that distribution to beneficiary schools would commence immediately, with 240 schools across the three senatorial zones captured in the first phase.
She urged school administrators and teachers to safeguard the materials and ensure optimal utilisation, warning that improper use would undermine the objectives of the intervention.
Addressing concerns regarding teachers’ digital readiness, Ogodo noted that capacity-building programmes were already underway to facilitate effective deployment of the supplied ICT equipment.
She further assured stakeholders that the state government was taking proactive steps to improve school security and infrastructure to protect the distributed assets.
The ceremony concluded with the symbolic flag-off of the distribution exercise, underscoring a coordinated federal–state effort to reposition Ebonyi’s basic education system toward improved learning outcomes, digital competence and vocational orientation.
