VP Shettima Urges National Council on Skills to Embrace Unity, End Fragmentation in Skills Development
By: Kamal Yalwa: September 10, 2025 Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on the National Council on Skills (NCS) and all relevant stakeholders to work collectively in advancing the federal government’s skills acquisition drive, declaring that the era of working in silos is over. Speaking during the 7th meeting of the NCS held Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Shettima emphasised that building a future-ready workforce requires unified action across government agencies, ministries, and the private sector. He described skills development as a core pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “Let me be clear about what this means. The era of operating in silos is over. We must move towards a new streamlined workflow that embeds collaboration directly into the process of curriculum development and funding,” the Vice President stated. He noted that the ongoing “skills revolution” is a national commitment and must be driven with purpose and synergy to unlock opportunities for Nigerian youth and workers nationwide—from the aspiring artisan in Kaura Namoda to mid-career professionals in Ebute-Metta. Shettima lauded Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for establishing and chairing the state’s first Council on Skills, calling it a model for other subnational governments to emulate. “We cannot build a future-ready workforce on a foundation of division,” Shettima stressed, urging the council to enforce a unified structure and eliminate institutional friction within the country’s skills ecosystem. He further emphasized that sustainable funding and implementation of the national skills agenda depend on strong inter-agency collaboration, not isolated action. Earlier in the meeting, Governor Uba Sani revealed that over 30,000 students were recently admitted into the Kaduna Vocational and Skills Development Institute. He thanked the Vice President for his continued support and dedication to job creation and skills development. Also speaking, Minister of Education Olatunji Alausa praised the Kaduna State Government’s efforts and announced that technical colleges have been directed to focus solely on relevant, practical courses for the upcoming academic year—aligning with the administration’s skills acquisition strategy. The council meeting reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to building a coordinated and inclusive framework to equip Nigerians with the skills needed to thrive in an evolving economy.