A technology-based firm, Skill ‘G’ Nigeria Limited says it is collaborating with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to train no fewer than 12,000 persons in the sub-region on technical education annually.

Dr Gregory Ibe, Managing Director, Skill ‘G’ spoke with newsmen at the sidelines of a two-day experts’ meeting on Friday in Abuja.

The theme of the meeting is “Better Harmonisation of the Education System of the Region and the Development of Human Capital based on Knowledge Economy.”

Ibe said that his firm was brought on board to help design strategy for ECOWAS technical and vocational education as well as skills improvement for employability in the region.

“ECOWAS decided to partner with Skill ‘G’ in delivering of specialised skill centres in 15 member countries.

“We started this with UNESCO during Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to deepen technical and vocational education and it attracted ECOWAS for adoption.

“It will cover primary to tertiary education; we are looking at how to standaridise certification of degrees and curricula in the sub-region.

“It will start with 7-member nation pilot project in which we will train the trainers-300 professionals with be trained from every nation and they will train others.

“They will go to their respective nations and will be able to multiply and give these knowledge to our pupils and students at all levels; we target 11,000 to 12,000 personnel annually,” he said.

According to Ibe, Science and laboratory courses in most of Nigeria’s higher institutions have been accredited due to the availability of Skill ‘G’ laboratories.

He said that under the project, all curricula in schools starting from primary to tertiary would be covered with science experiments, adding that the firm had the equipment and technical know-how.

On his part, Mr Boly Hamidou, ECOWAS Commissioner for Education, Science and Culture, said that the sub-region would harmonise education curricula with a view to improving skill acquisition.

“We want to build on technical know-how and produce entrepreneurs.

“We saw what Skill `G’ did in Nigeria and we decided to partner with the firm; no need going to elsewhere to get these things when we can get from Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)

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