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From left; Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu; Commissioner for Technical Education, Mrs Gbubemi Ikolo, with Project Manager, Mr Samuel Akong-Egozi (right) while inspecting ongoing work at Government Technical Collage, Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area. Tuesday. PHOTO: JIBUNOR SAMUEL.

Delta Government says it is building skills-based economy as panacea for rising unemployment in the state and country.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, made this known on Tuesday at Obiaruku, Ukwuani Local Government Area while addressing journalists after inspecting four new Technical Colleges being built by the state government at Omadino, Effurun, Orerokpe and Obiaruku.

Aniagwu who was in company with his Technical Education counterpart, Mrs Gbubemi Ikolo, said that as part of the Stronger Delta vision of the Okowa administration, the state government was determined to provide Deltans with skills that were in short supply.

He said that as part of the State Government’s human capital development, there was a link among the different components of the skills acquisition programmes in the state.

“I must appreciate the governor for the vision to establish these technical schools and I also commend my colleague who obviously has done a lot of work in the supervision of these projects.

“When you look at these projects you will see that indeed, it’s a technical college but can actually pass for a university environment because a number of institutions don’t have these structures. This goes to show that our Stronger Delta agenda is not a ruse.

“Okowa is determined to bequeath a state that is functional in terms of human capital and urban renewal which is a part of the Smart Agenda.

“We are not just going to build the schools, we are also making efforts to equip them to make them functional and productive and I feel very proud to say that these legacy projects are coming up in our time,” Aniagwu said.

He commended the contractors for doing a good job and urged them to speed up work to meet project deadline.

On her part, Mrs Ikolo said that the new schools would take-off in September, 2021, adding that the contractors had promised to speed up work to meet target.

She stated that the ministry was reviewing the technical education curriculum with a view to introducing new trades in line with changing and environmental realities.

“We are in the process of strategically employing teachers for these new schools and by May/June we will commence the process of advertising for admission.

“The technical colleges would offer admission for boarding and day students,” Ikolo stated.

Facilities inspected in the schools include administrative building and classrooms, hostels, dining halls, multi-purpose halls, clinics, residential buildings and landscaping.