DANGOTE ADVOCATES TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has called on developing
nations to lay emphasis on technical and vocational education as a
tool for accelerated industrial development and growth.
Speaking at the Global Education First Initiative Anniversary &
Learning for All Round Table held in New York in the United States,
Dangote said that developing nations needed a paradigm shift in their
educational system in order to spur technological development.
According to a statement on Sunday, the industrialist said at the
roundtable that the time had come for developing economies, especially
those of African extraction, to focus on vocational/technical
education in order to provide requisite skills that would drive the
quest for industrial development in their respective countries.
He stressed that the same strategy was used by the Koreans and Asian
Tigers to effectively transform from backwards to frontline economies,
adding that since it had worked in several countries, all African
countries needed was the strong drive to make it work.
Dangote, who fingered women as a powerful aspect of the population,
called for increase in the involvement of the girl-child in education,
saying the right education could have a dramatic impact on women
productivity. He also called for the training of the youths in order
to have the skills that will equip them for leadership.
He said the Dangote Group sponsored young people from Africa to the
World Economic Forum meetings to expose them to learn the art of
leadership from leading global businessmen and statesmen.
According to him, these young attendees on returning are equipped with
the necessary skills to provide the right mix of leadership needed to
help solve perceived loopholes and challenges in the domestic economy.
Over 70 young African professionals had benefitted from this project,
the statement said.