"Certificates No Longer Enough, Skills Are Nigeria's Future" — Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigeria's economic future lies in technical and vocational skills rather than academic qualifications alone, calling for a decisive shift in how the country approaches youth education and empowerment.

The president made the declaration at the combined convocation ceremony and 70th anniversary celebration of Kaduna Polytechnic in Kaduna, where 60,803 graduates spanning the 2015/2016 to 2024/2025 academic sessions were honoured. Tinubu was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad.

He said Nigeria was moving beyond an era in which certificates served as the sole passport to success, stressing that entrepreneurship, innovation, and hands-on technical competence were now the true currencies of a modern economy. He described investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as critical to unlocking the potential of Nigeria's teeming youth population.

The president reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to strengthening educational institutions, pointing to initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Students' Venture Initiative under his administration's Renewed Hope Agenda as concrete steps toward creating opportunities for young Nigerians.

He also challenged Kaduna Polytechnic to embrace digital innovation in its teaching and learning processes, urging the institution to position itself as a globally competitive centre of technical excellence.