By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
Imo State Governor, south east, Nigeria, Distinguished Senator Hope Odidika Uzodinma has urged and advised the Management and Faculty of Federal Universities of Technology in the country to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR), saying not doing so would mortgage the country’s future economic competitiveness and technological advancement.
Senator Uzodinma dropped the charge while delivering the 38th Convocation lecture of the Federal University of Technology Owerri(FUTO) today. The lecture was held at the Prof. C.O.E. Onwuliri Conference Hall, FUTO, under the title: “Nigerian Universities of Technology Must Lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Jeopardize the Nation’s Future.”
Uzodinma, whose lecture could be seen as a wake up call for Federal Universities of Technology advocated strongly for an overhaul of the curricula of the institutions to ensure they churn out a workforce ready for the challenges thrown up by the fourth industrial revolution.
According to Uzodinma, who chairs the Nigerian Governors Forum of the All Progressives Congress(APC) extraction, it was high time the Management and Faculty of Federal Universities of Technology embarked on a deliberate and intentional policy that prepared workers for the 4IR. “It is no more acceptable to prepare students for economies that no longer exist. They have to be deliberate and intentional about churning out a workforce that will constitute a demographic asset instead of a demographic burden,” adding “the 4IR cannot wait for Nigeria.”
Among other things, Governor Uzodinma disclosed that the Imo State Government was seeking a structural partnership with FUTO saying the infrastructure for the partnership already existed. According to him, the Federal Government had emplaced a policy infrastructure environment through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy as well as the National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA)…
“I commit on behalf of Imo State Government to make the partnership work,” stated Uzodinma, who requested the Vice Chancellor-designate to liaise with the Commissioner for Digital Economy to ensure operationalization of the FUTO-Imo Partnership within 90 days of his assumption of office..
One of the masters of ceremony said Uzodinma’s lecture was highly cerebral and contained an apt SWOT analysis of the situation in our Universities of Technology. The standing ovation he received after the lecture was well deserved. “Onwa’s lecture is profoundly enlightening and thought-provoking,”she said
The 38th Convocation Lecture was the last to be overseen by the Vice Chancellor of FUTO, Prof. Nnenna N. Oti-With additional reporting by Ezeh Anya Ezeh, Bureau Chief, South East, Nigeria.
