A bill to establish a Federal Institute of Technology and Enterpreneuship, Bungudu in Zamfara State, passed a second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
The bill, which was sponsored by Hon Abdulmalik Zubairu Bungudu, representing Bungudu/Maru Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, is seeking an amendment to the Federal Polytechnic Act, 2004 to enable the Institute to offer courses that relate to technology and entrepreneurship.
The sponsor of the bill gave a detailed analysis of the principles of the bill and said there was a need to reposition the institution through an amendment that allows trainees to be more enterprising after they have finished their courses and programmes in line with the economic reality of the time.
He said: “This Bill seeks to provide for the establishment of the Federal Institute of Technology and Entrepreneurship Bungudu, Zamfara State, to offer courses and programmes to identify the technology and entrepreneurship problems and needs of Nigeria to provide solutions to them within the context of overall national economic development.”
He lamented that the government could no longer provide jobs for graduates; hence, being entrepreneurial would make job seekers become job creators.
While narrowing down the challenge faced by job seekers, Bungudu revealed that the situation was bad in Zamfara, as citizens are mostly farmers but cannot access their farmlands due to banditry activities.
“It is a settled argument that the government cannot provide jobs for all our youths. We therefore need to train our youths and other citizens, the knowledge and skills to enable them create jobs and wealth.
“The main source of income for households in Zamfara State for example, is farming. And more than 80% of the farms cannot be cultivated in the current situation due to banditry and insecurity.”
After contributions by lawmakers, the house resolved that the bill be passed for second reading, given the prospects of the institute in generating self-employed graduates.
In his remarks, the Speaker, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, commended the sponsor of the bill and added that any bill that would promote the economic interests of Nigerians would be acceleratedly passed into law.
He referred the bill to the House Committee on Tertiary Institutions to revert in two weeks to the Committee of the Whole.
