By Odo Ogenyi,Uyo
Akwa Ibom government has commenced moves to secure international certification for graduates of it’s multi Billion Naira Dakaada Skill Acquisition Centre in Ibiono Ibom Local Council of the state.
Project Consultant, Mr Churchill Udoh told newsmen who inspected the complex yesterday that the international certification to be accorded by City and Guild of London would be in addition to that of the National Board for Technical Education and other relevant trade certification bodies.
Already, Udo said the University of Lancaster, University of Lagos and the University of Uyo have expressed interest for an exchange programme with the centre while different national professional bodies have been notified for proper accreditation of it’s courses.
The centre Udoh explained is multi diciplinery and would take off this year wiith 500 students and would grow to 10,000 in five years with additional hostels and other facilities.
According to him, the School is built to be self sustaining after six months it commenced with the incorporation of commercial services to be executed by the students while both the short term and long term courses to be offered are expected to last for between three months to one year.
Courses to be undertaken include Civil Technologies, Mechanical Engineering, Automobile Engineering, ICT, Fashion/Tourism/Hotel Management, Agriculture, Steel Fabrication, Carpentary Works and General Studies
“This is an old Technical College funded by the World Bank but we have added 18 brand new structures, a 1,500 capacity chapel/event center, three Surviellance Centres with CCTV cameras.
“We also built staff quarters,
Industrial kitchen and bakery for internal use and commercial purposes, a poultry for 45,000 birds,
space for 65,000 free range birds,
ranch to accommodate 4000 cows and 6000 other harbivores and a 60,000 litres water storage for irrigating the feeding areas for the herbivores.” He explained.
On the need for the centre inspite of the re-equipping and renovation of some technical colleges in the state, Udoh said it was primarily meant to give opportunity to talented youths who could not go through a formal technical college and also graduates who could want to undertake short term courses in the different vocational courses and trades to be offered in the school.
He commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for the project which he said would also provide the required manpower for the industrial revolution embarked upon by the state government.
