The Director of the Institute for Industrial Technology (IIT), Lagos, David Okechukwu, has called for increased investment in technical and vocational education, saying Nigeria needs a skilled and ethically grounded workforce to drive industrial development and tackle youth unemployment.
Okechukwu made the call while discussing the state of technical and vocational education in Nigeria and the impact of IIT, which marked its 25th anniversary last year. He stressed that technical skills were essential to the country’s economic transformation.
According to him, Nigeria’s industrial sector cannot afford to entrust expensive machinery and equipment to inadequately trained personnel, as poor technical competence can lead to equipment breakdowns, financial losses and lower productivity.
He said IIT’s training model combines technical education with ethical and moral instruction to ensure that young people not only acquire skills but also understand how to apply them responsibly.
‘When you give a young Nigerian a skill, he can do many things with that skill, but you have to give him the ethical foundation to be able to use that skill well,’ Okechukwu said.
He said participants undergo an advanced learning phase involving in-company training, which Okechukwu described as similar to an internship but with closer supervision.
He said IIT also supports graduates through its alumni association, including assistance with employment opportunities. Some graduates, he noted, secure jobs before completing their industry placements, while others establish businesses, rise into management providers and entrepreneurs rather than depend solely on salaried employment. However, he stressed that technical.
He explained that the institute’s approach includes multi-skilling, industry exposure, entrepreneurship and ethical training. The multi-skilled model, he said, equips graduates to diagnose and solve problems across different technical areas, making them more adaptable in the labour market.
Students also undergo an advanced learning phase involving in-company training, which Okechukwu described as similar to an internship but with closer supervision. He said students report their experiences to the institute to ensure proper monitoring and assessment.
Okechukwu said IIT also supports graduates through its alumni association, including assistance with employment opportunities. Some graduates, he noted, secure jobs before completing their industry placements, while others establish businesses, rise into management positions or pursue further education.
On youth unemployment, he said technical education could help young Nigerians become service providers and entrepreneurs rather than depend solely on salaried employment. However, he stressed that technical competence must be complemented by business and entrepreneurship skills.
Okechukwu also advocated a more strategic approach to expanding technical education across Nigeria. Rather than establishing identical institutions in every state, he said programmes should reflect each state’s economic activities and industrial strengths.
Okechukwu also disclosed that IIT’s model had attracted international interest, including support for establishing a technical school in Nairobi, Kenya, while Germany has expressed interest in skilled workers trained in Nigeria.
He said IIT was established by the US African Development Foundation to challenge the perception that technical education is meant for those unable to pursue conventional academic careers.
According to him, changing this perception remains critical, as industries ranging from manufacturing and automobile production to refineries require technically skilled workers to operate and maintain sophisticated equipment.
He urged society to value technical careers and said IIT was also exploring ways to incorporate artificial intelligence into its training programmes.