A Development Scientist, Professor Francis Ogbimi, has stressed the need for the Nigerian government to focus more attention on training young Nigerians to ensure a robust economy.
Professor Ogbimi on Friday stressed that the construction of roads and other infrastructures, which he described as depreciating assets that would over time require rehabilitation, would not bring development.
‘A Disjointed System’
He argued that Asians and Europeans manufacture products which Nigerians use, insisting that Nigeria should focus on increasing its manufacturing capacity and reduce importation of good to grow the economy.
“All you hear today is about money.
“Does money bring development as such when invested in building roads and all that? I found out that no. It does not.
“I went into history and read about Britain, Germany, Japan and the United States. I found out that that was not the situation at all.
“All structures depreciate and they are described as depreciating assets and so any effort by government to invest a lot on this is described as that man who is trying to fill a profusely leaking tank with water,” he stressed.
Professor Ogbimi further stated that “the learning people are appreciating assets”.
“The mechanic, which cannot even read, learns to repair a car and in three years he knows how to repair a car which theoretical people in the campus are not able to do.
“Knowledge, skills are what Europeans have that we do not have.
“We have a disjointed system,” he explained.
The development scientist also emphasised that Nigeria did not need to repeat what the Europeans did.
“We need sit down and look at all the curriculum we are running to see what we need.
“If we continue with what we are doing, life expectancy in Nigeria is about 59 years, it means that Children born 50 years’ time will not witness regular light and reliable infrastructure,” he further stated.
On the current workforce that the nation has, Professor Ogbimi insisted that Nigeria had a mediocre workforce.
“We need to establish a training scheme just as big as the educational system so that when our graduates finish they will start the practical stage.”
He, however, expressed optimism that Nigeria could surprise the world in becoming a world power in a shortest possible time.
