By Raphael Ogbonnaiye, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State government has concluded plans to set up a knowledge city
as a hallmark and a way of showcasing the intellectual trade mark of
Ekiti people.
The State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi who made this known during his
visit to the site of the proposed knowledge city along Ado-Ekiti
–Ijan-Ekiti road said all efforts are geared towards building a
knowledge-based economy.
He said this new approach will recognise the need for a broader range
of skills which will direct government policy towards intervention in
the labour market through other institutions through which these
skills might be formed.
Fayemi also stated that the purpose of the knowledge economy was to
evaluate the quality, adaptation and use of knowledge in an economy,
with the aim of creating effective knowledge economies capable of
competing in the global economy.
His words, “The truth is that we are knowledge base, that is why I
went to the knowledge city that we are planning because there is
nothing else we are known for in Nigeria than being the intellectual
capital of this country. We have lost our edge because we haven’t paid
adequate attention to that side of our work. It is great we have
private institution near where near where we are planning the
knowledge city, we also have a proposed airport in that area so that
we have a dedicated place where intellectual capital is the only trade
and those who indulge in that can come there and set up.
“Innovation city, that is the idea behind our knowledge city where
knowledge is the economy, because we are fast moving away from a
resource based economy, all will finish one day, the only thing to
sell would be our intellectual power and Ekiti should be the leader
there, we should not just be joiners, to set the pace, that is the
vision behind knowledge city.”
Governor Fayemi, who also visited the new High Court building in Ado
Ekiti, promised to effect necessary corrections on the few structural
defects noticed in the building.
