From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna has disclosed that the ongoing nationwide upgrade of skills of Nigerian youths in various fields is aimed at preparing Nigerians for the fourth Industrial revolution.
Prof Haruna, in a statement signed by the agency’s deputy director of information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, said the training of 100 youths on electrical installations and maintenance is to prepare them to contribute to the industrial revolution which is presently being championed by NASENI as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, “technology is changing and those with old skills in electrical installations are losing jobs because new techniques for either trouble-shooting and handling of electrical installations are coming to the industry”.
“Development in cutting edge technologies or frontier technologies as the innovations that are shaping the fourth industrial revolution is no doubt disrupting many things and introducing constant changes and standards.
Speaking further on reasons for the Skills acquisition training Prof. Haruna explained that installation, repairs and maintenance will no longer be metre conducting, piping or trunking of cable channel and streaming overhead conductors alone.
He said the new system of modern electrical installations and maintenance had gone beyond the provision of lighting points and sockets outlets. It is about automation remote sensing, remote control and wireless, therefore the capacity of the already existing electrical technicians needed retooling and skills upgrade.
The governor of Cross River State, Prof Benedict Ayade, who was a special guest at the occasion thanked the federal government and NASENI for bringing the upgrade in technology to Calabar and Cross River State youths.
He disclosed that both the federal government under the Buhari administration and Cross River State under Governor Ben Ayade share the same vision on the need to pursue solving the socio-economic challenges of the country, creation of jobs for the teeming youths and poverty reduction amongst the general populace via industrialization and the development of the manufacturing sector of the economy.
He added that the state government has revived the Construction and Fabrication Academy of West Africa Building in Calabar, a building now serving as a temporary site for the newly established NASENI Agricultural Machinery & Equipment Development Institute(AMEDI), Calabar.