Nigeria foremost Businessman and philanthropist Alhaji Ibraheem Dende Egungbohun (IBD) has called on government at all levels to continue to make vocational and technical education more attractive to youths in order for the Country to meet up with the global industrial challenges.Alhaji Egungbohun made the call while speaking to Journalists after he was conferred with the Ogun State Institute of Technology, OGITECH, Igbesa fellowship award.Represented by his spouse, Chief Egungbohun also challenged government to make technical and vocational education more enticing to the youths to solve the challenge of unemployment.He noted that many developed countries now prioritize vocational and technical education as against issues that are not beneficial to the youths while also saying that the move would make the youth self-reliant.His words, “It is only through vocational and technical education that the youth can get entrepreneurial knowledge to stand and work on their own. Government should then make it more enticing to the youth. It is the way forward for this country to end this youthful restfulness.”He commended the Ogun State government for placing high premium on Education and the current revitalisation of technical colleges across the State through the rehabilitation among other interventions.He further stressed the need for the government at all levels to place more emphasis on the establishment of skill acquisition centers for the school graduates to learn vocations in addition to their certificates.According to him, the move will reduce the over dependence on white-collar jobs among the youths in the country.Stressing the importance of technical and vocational education for the youths in the society, the business mogul explained that for a country to achieve technological advancement and economic development, there was urgent need for government to pay premium attention to Polytechnic education and make it more practical in approachHe appreciated the Rector and other management of Ogun State Institute of Technology Igbesa for bestowing on him the highest honour of the School while promising to do more in uplifting the less privilege in the society.Alhaji Egungbohun said government alone cannot fund education, he challenged other well to do in the society to adopt a school in the State and make a meaningful impact in such school.

The National President of Non-Teaching Staff Union of Polytechnics (NOTSUP) has affirm commitment to negotiation, not strike action.

NOTSUP President, Comrade Shaba Nakorji on Monday 20th January, 2025 while speaking with our correspondence regarding the union position concerning the 3-days warning strike declared by a sister union in the Polytechnic sector. He
made a statement clarifying that NOTSUP is not participating in the ongoing strike.

He said that NOTSUP will not be joining the strike, and this decision was made after the union National Executive Council careful consideration and a thorough review of the report of NOTSUP representative on the Committee in the ongoing review of the Polytechnic Scheme of Service.

We believe that negotiation, not strike action, is the best way to achieve our goals,” said Comrade Shaba Nakorji, President of the NOTSUP. “We remain committed to working with all stakeholders and sister unions in the Polytechnic sector to find mutually beneficial solutions for non teaching staff.”

The union’s decision not to participate in the strike is not a betrayal of solidarity. The work of the committee on the review of polytechnic scheme of service is still on-going. NOTSUP is willing to apply dialogue and negotiation to demand the committee and Federal Government to resolve concerns that affects non teaching staff of Polytechnics in the new scheme of service, he said.

NOTSUP is representing a category of workers in the Polytechnic sector and is a key player in negotiations. I urge NOTSUP members to remain in their respective offices and continue to perform their duties as per the normal course of service, he said.

The Non-Teaching Staff Union of Polytechnics (NOTSUP) has appealed to Federal Government not to systematically phase out TETFund which derives its funding from consolidated revenue from company income tax.

The union National President , Comrade Shaba Nakorji, who made the appeal during an interaction with our correspondent at NOTSUP Secretariat said almost 90% of the physical structures around all Federal and State government owned Polytechnics, Universities and Colleges of Education are products of TETFUND.

Nakorji said rather than to use Tetfund money to fund the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Federal Government should take 1% or 2% of VAT to fund NELFUND.

NELFUND recently introduced to disburse student loans is a good initiative, but cannot be a replacement for TETFund, he said.

The NOTSUP President said any plan to phase out the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is harmful to Nigeria tertiary education system and i appeal to the Federal Government to allow the Tetfund to stay and give more allocation to education budget.