The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Ali Pantami, has said that the government ought to pay more attention to reviving technology as it holds the key to virile development of the country.

The Minister, who was represented by Mr Mohammed Bello, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, made the observation at the second annual general meeting of the Relevant Technology Old Students Association (RETOSA) in Jos.

He explained that functional relevant technology education would impact the necessary skills on the people, adding that vocational training would address unemployment in the country.

“Technology remains the pathway to sustainable development; it is the way for the digital transformation of people in the society.

“Relevant technology mixed with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) will move many out of poverty in Nigeria.

”Technology holds the key to sustainable development because it has the potential to fully transform our society,” he said.

Professor Mohammad Haruna, the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), attributed the dearth of professionals in construction industry and other critical sectors to the collapse of relevant technology education.

“The deteriorating condition of relevant technology is reason we have incompetent workforce in our building and construction sector, industries and even ministries responsible for service provision,” he said.

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State maintained that the state government had put modalities on ground to improve relevant technology education in the state, adding that it had approved the recruitment of more teachers for centres across the state.

The governor, represented by the Mr Benjamin Jang, the Commissioner for Science and Technology in the state, said that it has constituted a board in that would boost relevant technology in the state.

Lalong added that government had mandated agencies, ministries and departments, including contractors, to panatronise the centres by buying their products to make them self-reliant.

Similarly, Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, represented by Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Bala, Permanent Secretary, Political Affairs in the office of the Secretary to the State Government, said that his government had done a lot in terms of skills development.

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