The Minister of State, Mines, and Steel Development Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah has said that what Nigeria needs now is skills and not certificate for economic development.
Ogah who stated this when he visited Metallurgical Training Institute Onitsha said that government would continue to pay more attention to job creation through skills training and acquisition.
The Minister who was led round facilities and departments at the Institute by the Acting Director/Chief Executive Mrs. Biakolo-Alisigwe Franca expressed happiness over the equipment on ground which he said needed to be upgraded to international standard.
He said that warned the staff to be up and doing or ready to be thrown out of the place, saying that the era of indolence is over but committed staff who were ready to work to take the institute to next level.
Ogah also stated that the ministry had gone 60 percent in getting the legal framework that would establish the institute, saying that Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the draft which was sent to National Assembly.
He further said that he would advise the state governors and other agencies to be sending youths to the institute for the training and man power development.
The Minister on arrival paid a courtesy call to Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and traditional ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidube Iweka where they paid more attention to the institute.
The Institute Director Biakolo-
Alisigwe in her address said that institute needs more workshops, class rooms for instruments and control engineering, steel fabrication and welding engineering etc.
