Made-in-Nigeria: Shettima charges skills council to sustain world-class standards

To enhance competitiveness, Kashim Shettima, the vice president of Nigeria, has charged members of the National Council on Skills (NCS), to ensure that Made-in-Nigeria products and services remain synonymous with world-class standards.

Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, office of the Vice President, said the Vice President also charged the council to leverage the restless, inventive spirit of the Nigerian people—evident across streets, schools, and workshops—by tapping into this energy to power the nation’s ongoing industrial revolution.

The body comprising federal ministries, state governments, and the private sector, are also charged with the responsibilities of strengthening Nigerian products under the Nigeria First policy

The Vice President, who gave the charge while chairing the 8th meeting of the NSC at the Presidential Villa, stressed that as the council moves towards inaugurating the National Working Committee for WorldSkills Nigeria, the weight of the responsibility extends beyond preparations for Shanghai 2026.

According to him, this effort represents the construction of a bridge to global relevance—whether for an AI developer in Lagos’ Silicon Lagoon, a precision machinist in the industrial hubs of Nnewi, or a climate-smart agriculturalist in Benue.

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“Our goal is to ensure that Made in Nigeria is synonymous with world-class,” the Vice President added.

He highlighted that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) are two gears of a single engine expected to achieve this goal, working towards a singular destination: the human capital development objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Vice President observed that collaboration, beyond being a best practice, is the only way the council can fulfil its covenant with the Nigerian people.

“As we leave this chamber, remember who we serve. We owe them jobs. We owe them hope. We owe them a future where their skills are their currency. The future belongs to those who prepare for it today,” he said.

The Council considered a proposal by Dangote Industries to conduct a one-month “train-the-trainer” programme for 100 candidates across five high-demand skill areas: industrial mechanics, industrial electronics, instrumentation, welding and fabrication, and heavy-duty earth-moving equipment operations.

It commended the initiative and requested updates on progress at subsequent meetings.

The meeting was attended by Governor Una Sani of Kaduna State, Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, and a representative of the Dangote Foundation.