Former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has urged young Nigerians to consider technical and vocational skills, saying construction companies are struggling to find electricians while diplomatic missions are unable to recruit chefs.
Oshiomhole made the remarks during a Senate debate on the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, on Tuesday, October 20, with a clip of his speech beginning to trend on social media on Thursday.
He argued that basic education should equip citizens with the ability to read, understand information and acquire practical skills rather than make university degrees the ultimate goal for everyone.
“There is no country that seeks to make sure that every citizen is a graduate. But every country seeks to ensure that every citizen has sound basic education,” he said.
The senator said people with basic education could pursue various technical occupations, including bricklaying and electrical work, depending on their interests and opportunities.
He added that Nigeria had unmet demand for skilled workers despite the number of young people pursuing formal education.
“Today, as I’m in Abuja, go through some of the construction companies. They will tell you they have vacancy for electricians, there is none. Sir, ambassadors told me they are looking for chefs, they can’t find,” Oshiomhole said.
He said acquiring technical skills could also provide better earning opportunities than some conventional career paths.
“So, if a man or a woman has that basic education, he can veer into this other technical area, which in the end may even equip them to earn more money than what you earn if you are—and I don’t want to be misunderstood,” he said.
Oshiomhole clarified that his argument was not against university education, but that Nigerians should recognise the value of practical skills alongside academic qualifications.
He cited public administration as an example, noting that some people occupy administrative positions without having degrees in the discipline.
“Most of us here who are administering the public, but we don’t have degrees in public administration,” he said.
The senator also called for greater transparency in the proposed legislation, insisting that lawmakers needed to examine the bill’s provisions to identify possible loopholes and ensure that funds allocated for education were properly used.
“I think the bill is good, the intention is clear, but that is not enough. We need to see the draft of the bill so that we can all see if there are loopholes to be provided for, particularly sanction, so that whoever benefits must not divert the money for the purpose for which the executive intended,” he said.
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to strengthen the administration and coordination of public senior secondary education.
The Senate passed the bill for second reading and referred it to the Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), directing the committee to report back within four weeks.
The PUNCH reports that the bill, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, seeks to establish education boards in states and the Federal Capital Territory to coordinate interventions in public senior secondary schools.
It also seeks to extend funding support to Federal Unity Colleges and Armed Forces senior secondary schools to address infrastructure gaps and shortages of learning materials.