The Chancellor, Hillside University of Science and Technology, Okemesi Ekiti, Ekiti State, Olaoye Jaiyeola, has urged the Federal Government to ensure that the universities in the country were deliberately programmed to prepare people for skills development for future jobs.
Jayeola said such a measure would make the students more entrepreneurial and ensure that graduates possessed the required modern skills.
The chancellor, who spoke at Okemesi Ekiti during the official take-off of the university, said, “If you don’t spend time to work on skills that will be required, we won’t see anyone to solve our problems and that is why I want the Federal Government to make our universities more entrepreneurial to prepare people for skills development for tomorrow’s job.”
He said graduates from his university would be equipped with modern skills and technical abilities to deliver clear-cut solutions to the myriad of challenges confronting humanity and society.
Jayeola said that the establishment of Hillside University was necessitated by his commitment to the advancement of the nation’s education sector especially in the area of science and technology, promising that the university would catalyze the socio-economic development of the host community and the state.
He said that the courses approved for the university by the regulatory agency were those that would “prepare our people to be able to tackle the challenges now and in the future and make them contribute to the Nigerian economy, starting from my hometown, Okemesi Ekiti.”
The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Chris Mayaki, who hailed Jaiyeola for the development, said that the commission would continue to partner with individuals and organisations that would contribute to the development of education and learning.
The NUC boss, represented by the Director of Human Resources, Boniface Odum, said that the commission would continue in its core mandate of ensuring improvement in the sector in line with global best practices.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro, expressed the government’s readiness to support the institution towards success.
