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The Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, has commended the Ekiti State Government for establishing six technical colleges across the state, describing the initiative as an important foundation for equipping young people with practical skills for the future economy.
The commendation came as Governor Biodun Oyebanji said Ekiti must move beyond prolonged analysis of its opportunities and translate its potential into tangible prosperity, with innovation, productivity and technology playing greater roles in the state's development.
Oyebanji, who delivered the keynote address at the Ekiti at 30 Future Summit, said the state must embrace new approaches to knowledge, enterprise and development as it positions itself for the next phase of its growth.
He described the Ekiti Knowledge Zone as a major initiative capable of breaking international barriers in knowledge, technology and business opportunities, while positioning the state to participate more actively in the global economy.
Olowolafe, who delivered the lead paper at the summit, also commended successive governors, leaders and other stakeholders for their contributions to the development of the state over the past three decades, particularly the significant progress recorded in education.
In his paper titled “The Path to Ekiti’s Greatness: Opportunities, Choices, and Imperatives for the Next 30 Years,” the Are-Ekiti-born academic said Ekiti's strong educational foundation provided the state with a significant advantage, which could be converted into practical skills, enterprise, employment and sustainable wealth creation.
*TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE ECONOMY*
The Medical Doctor-Turned-Industrialist, however, said the six technical colleges would need to be expanded and strengthened to meet the growing demand for technical education among young people across the 16 local government areas.
He called for modernisation of their curricula, increased investment in equipment and infrastructure, and stronger human-capacity development to ensure that the institutions remained responsive to the needs of the modern economy.
Olowolafe identified solar installation, welding, fabrication, machinery repair, food processing and other high-value technical trades as areas capable of equipping young people with practical skills for sustainable livelihoods.
He also advocated the engagement of master vocational instructors from countries with advanced technical education systems to strengthen the capacity of teachers and expose students to international standards.
“We must expand this capacity by modernising the curriculum and directly hiring master vocational instructors from nations with elite technical education systems, such as Switzerland, Germany, Canada and South Africa, to train our faculty and connect our colleges digitally to clients and employers everywhere,” he said.
The Pro-Chancellor of Miva Open University further pledged to partner with the state government to establish upgraded, modern and solar-powered ICT centres in the six government technical colleges and support the introduction of foreign expertise into vocational training.
He also proposed partnerships with international mining schools to develop the Geology Department of EKSU into a world-class institution within five years.
*AI, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE EKITI KNOWLEDGE ZONE*
Olowolafe said Ekiti's educational advantage must be complemented by the capacity to harness emerging technologies, identifying artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, automation and new energy systems as areas that would increasingly shape the global economy.
He cited the Ekiti Knowledge Zone as a major technology-driven initiative capable of connecting young people and technology ventures in the state to opportunities in global markets.
The renowned entrepreneur said the project, conceived under former Governor Kayode Fayemi and being implemented by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, could enable young people to build technology-based businesses from Ekiti while serving clients in Nigeria and abroad.
“On the digital side, the Ekiti Knowledge Zone is now under way. Conceived under former Governor Kayode Fayemi and being implemented by His Excellency, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, once complete, it will give our young people a place to build technology ventures without leaving Ekiti, serving clients in Lagos, London and Singapore, and bringing that income home to Ekiti. That is how education becomes wealth,” he said.
The healthcare investor also advocated reliable energy as an important enabler of education, healthcare, small businesses and industrial development.
He proposed the development of renewable-energy-powered microgrids across the state's 177 wards, saying such infrastructure could provide electricity for schools, health centres, workshops and small businesses while stimulating local economic activity.
Olowolafe said collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) could help accelerate the initiative.
He also challenged scientists and skilled artisans to develop solar-powered cocoa-drying equipment to modernise and accelerate cocoa processing, which he described as an important opportunity for wealth creation and foreign exchange earnings.
*CONTINUITY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND WEALTH CREATION*
Olowolafe identified the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport as evidence of the benefits of continuity of vision by successive administrations, stressing that good road networks would be required to complement the infrastructure and accelerate the state's industrial development.
He advocated stronger engagement between government and citizens in identifying and addressing local development needs, citing the Gbemisola Olowolafe Memorial Community Secondary School in Are-Ekiti as an example of what effective stakeholder engagement could achieve.
He said the ambition was to develop the school into a world-class institution with a capacity for 600 students, offering education grounded in science, technology, languages, arts and sports.
The Chairman of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation added that the GOMTECH ICT centre located adjacent to the school was already providing training in artificial intelligence, coding, graphic design and Mandarin.
The EKSU Chancellor also highlighted some of the university's digital initiatives since his appointment in 2024, including Project Digi-Teach EKSU, which is aimed at equipping all 650 lecturers with digital teaching competencies.
“The same thinking drives our work at Ekiti State University, where His Excellency appointed me Chancellor in 2024. Through Project Digi-Teach EKSU, we are bringing all 650 lecturers to full digital teaching proficiency, and our Trading Room has grown into a Senate-approved diploma programme in financial markets,” he said.
He added that high-speed Starlink internet had also been installed at 12 locations across the campus.
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