Opinion

Panorama: Physiotherapy: A Noble Profession Made in Paradise

Published

4 years ago

September 4, 2021

Eric

By Sani Sa’idu Baba

My dear country men and women, I will begin with the popular saying, ‘health is wealth’. This is a fact that no one can contest. Not just because one enjoys pain and disability-free life, but also that health ensures complete harmony of the body, mind, spirit and mental wellbeing. The saying of Mahatma Gandhi that “it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver” and the Arabian proverb that says “he who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything” are true. However, despite its enticing meanings, it has become nearly impossible to achieve a perfect state of health owing to some factors. These factors include genetics, environment, access to health and behavior. Extending one’s own capacity to keep self physically fit has also become a challenge. While both medical and physiotherapy doctors share their responsibilities on patients particularly during diseased condition, the physiotherapy doctors are exclusively very close to the patients as well as the apparently healthy clients who seek to maintain their health to reflect a popular saying “prevention is better than cure”.

Against this background, I will relate to two key issues. One is the less talk about cases of sudden death shortly after engaging in physical activity like running or jogging or cycling in the gymnasium or other playground or at home, which is becoming rampant, especially among certain class of people I can attest to. And secondly, the incessant exodus of medical personnel from Nigeria. One might be curious to ask why I should say “physical activity” and not “exercise” in the other case. Certainly because they are two entirely different things in the context of health, and the key issues surrounding the observed problem lies in either being ignorant or misperception of the two misleading words. I will dwell on both cases subsequently.

I will not bother my readers with the definitions of exercise and physical activity because it may take round a clock to satisfactorily explain what both entails. But I believe that being able to remember a scenario that if one has a headache or fever or any other strange illness, one would first go and see a doctor, carryout some investigations, identify the problem and be placed in appropriate medications that suitably fits. Not a situation whereby one will identify the disease, choose any investigation he/she likes, buy any drug of choice and be taking it endlessly, certainly no. In fact, doing so is tantamount to committing suicide. The same thing when one decides to go to any gymnasium, or playground to start running, flexing or jogging because he/she has diabetes, hypertension or is obese. You can imagine if one is only asthmatic and then took anti-hypertensive drugs expecting to see results. Is it possible? No. It will never yield any results but rather threatens life in the end. It is the same scenario with exercise. Different exercise specifications are employed to target specific disease and not others. And just like we have drug abuse as more often been campaigned about, we should equally be aware of exercise abuse and its detrimental effect. So the exact difference without taking it too far, is the word “prescription” in the case of exercise, and that has been unanimously agreed worldwide to be one of the key jobs of the physiotherapy doctors by all standards.

Exercise is a very powerful tool for both the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases, for mitigating the harmful effects of obesity, and for lowering mortality rates. Years of research have provided irrefutable evidence for the benefit of exercise in the primary and secondary prevention of diseases like diabetes, cancer (especially of the breast and colon), hypertension, depression, osteoporosis, dementia, and heart diseases. In addition, regular exercises has also been shown to dramatically lower all-cause mortality rates, and especially cardiovascular-related mortality. Beyond all this, exercise has also been shown to significantly mitigate the harmful health effects of obesity. In fact, studies have shown that patients are better off being fit and fat than skinny and unfit. That means a low level of fitness is a bigger risk factor for mortality than mild to moderate levels of obesity. The important message for all patients and clients to understand is that the benefits of exercise are the same regardless of how much you weigh.

In fact, there is a linear relationship between level of exercise and health status. People who maintain an active and fit way of life live longer, healthier lives. In contrast, sedentary lifestyle has an astonishing array of harmful health effects. However, having known the detrimental effect of self-prescribed exercise, it is arguably quite better to be sedentary than to engage in it without consulting physiotherapy doctors. People who are sedentary and unfit predictably begin to suffer prematurely from chronic disease and probably die at a younger age or live with poor quality of life. This is because, their ability to live a normal life and do the things they want to do is often severely limited because the premature development of chronic diseases associated with an inactive lifestyle have impaired their functional capacity. This association between disease and an inactive and unfit way of life exists in every age group: children, adults, and the elderly. Results of several researches published in journals of physiotherapy consistently show that those who are active and fit are healthier and less likely to develop chronic diseases irrespective of gender or age. For this reason, many have suggested that sedentary lifestyle is the major public health problem of our time. It was therefore a consensus that “In view of the prevalence, global reach, and health effect of sedentary lifestyle, the issue should be appropriately described as pandemic, with far-reaching health, economic, environmental, and social consequences.” Can you imagine now the public outcry if such strong words had been used to describe a “pandemic” caused by an infectious disease or injury? You can bet there would have been numerous large scale campaigns mounted and associated publicity to deal with such a pandemic. Unfortunately, the clear identification of sedentary lifestyle as a pandemic barely generated any media response and awareness despite availability of physiotherapy doctors that can effectively play significant roles vis-à-vis preventing the occurrence of the diseases, diagnosing them in the presence of any health challenge and appropriately dealing with them. To make it clear here, sedentary lifestyle and self-prescribed exercise are almost the same because both are harmful to health. So the role of physiotherapist in global health cannot be overemphasized.

The fundamental issue on ground is that while people are battling with diseases like cancer, hypertension, diabetes and the rest, others are battling with the side effects of the drugs on top of the disease itself. A classic example of such situations is the paradoxical response to drugs in some cases, and drug induced severe pain in cancer patients. Physiotherapy doctors on the contrary, could target your heart, your lungs, your kidneys, your brain and manipulate your spines and joints with usually instant results and zero side effect. Besides, physiotherapy doctors around the world has achieved significant reduction in the occurrence of these diseases through their preventive efforts in various cases. Moreover, the recent Covid-19 pandemic has clearly exposed physiotherapy as a lifesaving profession by virtue of the observation that effective physiotherapy intervention is fundamental to achieving recovery in Sars-Covid patients with both mild and severe lung collapse. In fact in many countries, the intensive care units are being headed by physiotherapy doctors. They revived long Covid patients from post-exertional symptoms exacerbation, cardiac impairment, exertional oxygen desaturation, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction using several rehabilitation approaches. Many medical scholars like Meenakshi Wankhede recognized physiotherapy as a field concerned with all medical fields and based on the basic concept of human sciences, the importance of this field has been skyrocketing by the day as people are becoming more aware of their physical and mental health. So it is the need of the hour in the modern world especially because of the harmful undesirable effects of most drugs.

Coming back to the key issue I intend to address today, I believe my readers must have grabbed some ideas of the harmful effect of self-prescribed exercise. But to appreciate it more, let’s take for example, when one engages in self-prescribed exercise, he/she is not aware and has no control over many crucial vital profiles such as blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, oxygen consumption, respiratory rate, blood cholesterol level, general metabolism, and how these changes over time. These parameters if assessed and the outcome of pre-exercise testing are the key determinants that will inform whether one should do this for so so duration, or should do that for so so kilometers and for how many times or even to use certain machines or the other. Many people wrongly subject themselves to undesirable form of physical activities and beyond permissible limits for their age or conditions which the heart and lungs cannot withstand. In some cases, people are unaware they have a particular condition or the other, some have already developed obstructed blood flow and something like that. That is why, more often than not, people die of heart attack during or immediately after self-prescribed exercise and this is mostly the genesis of the key issue I am talking about today.

The second issue that stimulated me to pick a topic of this nature this time around is the issue of exodus of health personnel from Nigeria that has become the order of the day. Needless to say that, there is serious problem with leadership in Nigeria. Health is supposed to be a key priority of any administration. It was actually worrisome to learn about the brain drain going on in the health sector in Nigeria. Many health personnel are reportedly leaving Nigeria for Saudi Arabia in search of greener pasture. Although some are of the opinion that it is brain gain, and not brain drain for obvious reasons. And I don’t blame anybody honestly because the situation is already out of hand. It is very embarrassing to realize that despite the shortage of man power in the health sector, concerned authorities are keeping their hands akimbo, allowing the situation to collapse. Take for instance, despite millions of Nigerian patients that are in need of physiotherapy and rehabilitation services out of about 200 million population, the numerical strength of physiotherapy doctors available in the country today is abysmally low. The level of wastages and inadequacies in the field has been brought to the fore. In a 500 bed hospital for instance, where we are supposed to have at least 50 physiotherapists, we can have less than 10. This is terribly low. The rate at which physiotherapy doctors migrate to the U.K, U.S, Canada and other countries is also very disturbing. As of 2015, it was gathered that about 50% of the nation’s registered physiotherapists have migrated to seek greener pasture. Eventually, it is Nigerians who are suffering these deficits, because they are not having the best. The global ratio of physiotherapists stands at 1 : 4,000 people, Nigeria has one of the worst ratios in the world: 1 : 170,000 persons, after recording a shortfall of more than 41,000, because Nigeria needs about 43,000 physiotherapy doctors to be able to meet the growing demands of Nigerians. One of the reasons people go abroad to get care is not necessarily because the surgery is not going to be successful, if they were to do it here. But because of post-surgical care that is needed, which has been developed to a very high level in developed countries, but which has been neglected in Nigeria, up to the point that it now appears as if the surgery was not successful. And the reason why the surgery appears not to be successful is that the post-operative care, which the physiotherapists will have to embark upon, has not been supported by the system.

As has been exemplified earlier, self-prescribed exercise corresponds to self-medication. And also corresponds to over-the-counter drugs. While antihypertensive exercise prescribed by an expert physiotherapist tally with the antihypertensive drugs prescribed by an expert cardiologist. Most important to note here is, the detrimental effect of exercise abuse could be more dangerous than that of drug abuse because in the former it can lead to instant death while the later may presents with chances of reversal.

Based on the extensive highlights above, it is clear that exercise is the new medicine. It is the long-sought-after therapy needed to prevent chronic diseases, and extend life. Can you imagine a pill that had even a fraction of the positive health benefit like exercise? It would be the most widely prescribed medication in the world, and not prescribing it would likely be considered malpractice. So why has the medical community neglected exercise as a standard treatment? The answer to that question is quite complex, but I suspect it’s just easier for most physicians to prescribe a pill to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, or even body mass index, rather than counsel patients on getting more active or referring them to physiotherapy doctors.

The other issue is the lack of reimbursement for exercise counseling and other preventive measures. However, it is clear that this focus on pills is flawed, because we know that medication adherence by patients is very low, let alone someone seeking weight loss. The affordability of these medications by the patients is also another issue.

In addition, a reliance on drugs seems to transfer responsibility for health from the patient to the physicians. In many cases, patients seem to be less active and eat more poorly when medications are prescribed. This is not to talk of the dangerous side effects that most of the medications come with. I therefore, appeal to authorities to do everything possible to enhance the number of physiotherapy doctors in every health institution.

Kano State, as a case study, with about 20 million people has only about 150 physiotherapists, where only 76 are under the state government, and more than 100 are currently not recruited by the state government despite the huge demand. My special appeal therefore, to our workaholic governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is to be more pro-active to solve problems like these in the health sector.

Moreover, the dangers that are attached to allowing gymnasiums to operate without licensed physiotherapist is very alarming. Authorities should also mandate such facilities to employ physiotherapist. And the people, on their part, should never patronize any gymnasium that has no physiotherapist to properly evaluate them before any exercise activity.

A word is enough for the wise! May God Almighty continue to bless us with sound health.

Opinion

The APC is jittery by Karounwi Adinni

Published

2 weeks ago

July 6, 2025

Eric

Very jittery about the coalition, and it should rightly feel so.

If coordinated properly, they have the capacity and numbers to upstage APC, from national politics.

If they manage to do it, it will be well-deserved.

The neo-liberal economic policies embarked on by BAT has shrunk the economy brutally.

The country has shrunk far more economically after removing fuel subsidy, particularly when electricity is still non-existent, raising production costs infinitely and lowering spending, making it a double-whammy for millions.

Electricity costs have been double even when its generation, distribution and transmission hasn’t improved significantly blunting claims of Nigerians needing to pay humongous amounts if they want electricity, even if several examples exist of Countries in the Global South with far more reasonable electricity charges with even more access to electricity.

Let’s now add devaluation, that skyrocketed costs of goods in an import-dependent economy and ran more millions into penury.

War-level inflation, rising costs of living, food prices off the ceiling.

And what they have been told is that, that is the only way to rejig the economy.

The supposed billions stolen by subsidy thieves hasn’t been retrieved, and perpetrators jailed.

Customs officials that permit fuel smuggling that justified subsidy removal weren’t arrested and jailed.

Yet, the people who weren’t responsible for these lapses were told to stomach these lapses and adjust to “SAP” tightening adjustments.

Minimum wage of 70k has still not been paid, what was done was a cynical 40k wage award across levels. This after fuel went from 185 to over 900 naira in some places, and skyrocketing prices of goods quarter-by-quarter.

In 2000, When Olusegun Obasanjo raised minimum wage from 250naira to 5500 naira, and Federal civil servants pay raised from 3500 to 7500, it triggered the phrase “GBEMU AREMU” (Aremu’s Largesse) that raised national income and subsequent spending across several sectors.

Teachers would buy Opel cars prompting applause when it was announced on assembly grounds, and several civil servants started building houses leading to a construction boom.

Federal contractors are being owed despite government claims of record revenues, and gaslighting statements of more allocations being accrued to Governors.

Let us now go back to pet peeves about allocation of projects.

Gilbert Chagoury’s HITECH got awarded the “Lagos-Calabar coastal road”

The same Chagoury’s HITECH got the Sokoto-Badagry road.

The same HITECH was awarded Benin-Akure-Ilesha road.

Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road was taken from Julius Berger and handed to HITECH.

Chagoury’s ITB also got $700m port revamp contract.

BAT says Alex Zingman who got the $250m contract to bring in tractors from Belarus is his friend.

When major contracts are given to closet accolytes in a family&friends scheme, how will the economy grow, when fairness is out of the window.
Multi-billion dollar contracts are being handed out attimes with no bidding to preferred contractors whom the President openly calls “His Partner” (Chagoury).

This is the samee Chagoury who returned $66million to Switzerland to get his conviction expunged.

He paid $300million to Nigeria’s government to protect him from prosecution for his role in helping General Sani Abacha loot the country by transferring National funds abroad.

Abacha’s special friend tha helped launder money abroad is BAT’s advisor and confidante whose companies get no-bidding contracts and people are to keep quiet.

Yet, APC stalwarts will attempt to gaslight people by saying “Relax, economy is getting better, BAT knows what he is doing”, even when diaspora Nigerians who come into the country exchange their Pounds and USD into Naira, and still cannot cope with the skyrocketing prices.

People are being told to sacrifice, while they see the Presidency buy yatch, new vehicles and Presidential Jet.

If it’s the ADC that will come and trigger the APC, we are all in for it.

Even if several of the characters in ADC have been in government for years. Distributed stealing is much better for the economy than singular appropriation.

Perhaps, when Nigerians change governments over and over, politicians will sit tight and apportion some efforts towards working for masses and treat people with some level of respect.

And the coalition should watch out for Aregbesola, the main reason that has given the coalition impetus. He is not a man who gives half-measures. And he is coming for revenge.

There is no fight as interesting to watch as tight buddies turn into implacable foes.

Knowing him, Aregbesola would likely have control of Lagos ADC, where he would bring in many elements of APC currently disaffected and angry into the party.

Being more conservative than even Tinubu, he would avoid trap of filling positions with non-Yorubas.

What would ensue in Lagos, with an Aregbesola-controlled ADC will be a fight for the ages, people who knew “Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu” before he became “Asiwaju” or “Jagaban” would be brought into the fray.

Imagine for example, Muiz Banire, as Governorship candidate. Prominent families, in Lagos will be split down the middle, as Aregbesola comes for the jugular.

And woe betide APC, if the North refuses to vote for them and APC loses the Presidential election.

It makes the task of dismantling even Lagos from Tinubu’s hold after 28 years easier.

Tinubu’s current yes-men gaslighting people about economy should continue telling people all is well, even when economy squeezes people out.

In 2 years, they might lose everything. Both Federal and beloved Lagos.

Opinion

Imperative of the Battle Against Impunity

Published

2 weeks ago

July 5, 2025

Eric

By Ayo Oyoze Baje

“When a leader encourages the culture of impunity, the society is lost and it makes the work harder for the rest of us”
– Prof. Wole Soyinka

One of the bitter facts about striking the delicate balance between criminality and justice is that if the perpetrators of sundry crimes are either treated with kid gloves, or left to walk our streets as free men, some others would view such as the best way to go. Unfortunately, from the persisting challenge of insecurity through the reckless squandering of public funds by some favoured political helmsmen to budget padding, crass impunity has remained the middle name of our democratic dispensation, sad to note.

For instance, recently Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), criticized both the Federal and Benue State Governments for consistently failing to prosecute suspects arrested in connection with violent attacks that have resulted in the killing spree in Benue State. In the statement issued under the platform of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), of which he is the Chairman Falana lamented that although hundreds of suspects have been arrested over the years for crimes ranging from illegal possession of firearms to mass killings and kidnapping, most of them are never charged.

To him President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to the Nigeria Police Force to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the latest wave of violence in the state is potentially symbolic.He pointed out that previous arrests had not led to convictions or justice for victims. Falana also berated the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for alleging that residents of Yelwata community provided shelter for the killers. He described the statement as an attempt to shift blame onto victims instead of addressing the systemic failures of security and governance.

Such a sordid situation triggers the burning questions. Is the life of the voiceless victims not important to humanity in general and the country in particular? Are the perpetrators of the scary insecurity ravaging the country that has sent hundreds of thousands of innocent souls to their early graves more valued than that of the defenceless citizens? What is so difficult in identifying the sponsors, who arm them to kill fellow citizens and bring them to justice?

It is a similar situation when it comes to profligacy with regards to the way and manner some politicians squander public funds. Only recently there was disagreement between the National Assembly and the BudgIT over the issue of budget padding to the stupendous amount of N6.93 trillion in the 2025 federal government’s budget. Yet, some Nigerian contractors have remained unpaid for about a year! And there are allegations about some of them awarded contracts without going through the fiscal policy relating to the budget. That runs against Section 5 (b) of the Public Procurement Act. That is impunity, is it not? Yes, it is. But the pain in all of these is that the culture of impunity in places high and low has been with us for eons.

As yours truly highlighted through an opinion essay back in April 2017 all the hue and cry that trailed the probe into the $10billion(or is it $16 billion) sleaze in the power sector years back has long suffered from what physicists call the Doppler Effect, or died a Nigerian “natural death”. And as one warned back then that “was not the first time and it may not likely be the last unless government musters the much needed political will to bring the perpetrators to book.” But is the situation any better today? The answer is patently obvious.

These days we read about the humungous amounts, even in dollars found stashed in the private vaults of some former public office holders. From local government council chairmen to senators and governors, it is a recurring ugly decimal of national shame. But some hungry and disenfranchised poor citizens caught for stealing fowls and goats are either sent behind bars or hounded to hell!

It speaks volume about how those in government interpret words such as accountability, probity and transparency. It demeans us all as a people that those vested with the sacred trust of holding the destiny of men and materials of a country as vast as Nigeria are allowed to go Scot-free after committing various heinous crimes against the state. No one talks about the $12 billion Gulf War windfall again because some people are above the law. Not a few former state governors were once paraded by the EFCC as suspected to have siphoned state funds for self-aggrandizement.But years later some of them have the audacity to want to go back to their former offices, or find their ways to the hallowed Red chamber to make laws for you and yours truly. All these happen because of the insidious culture of impunity

As it was between 2015-2023, one is not surprised, therefore, that some corrupt politicians who defected from the PDP to the ruling APC are surreptitiously enjoying some ignoble immunity. It has happened before. All of these make a mockery of our judiciary process. Many of the proceedings are centuries away from the Information Technology and Communication(ICT) age as obsolete type – writers are still used for recording purpose. Series of laughable injunctions take over the well scripted drama of the absurd, characterized by the shameless display of former politicians suspected of grievous financial crimes, raising their hands in bravado as their paid praise worshippers fan their battered and bruised ego.

It is little of a surprise therefore, that virtually all notable institutions of government; from ministries to departments and agencies have in the past years of our democratic experience been probed for one fraud or the other. But after years of turning their searchlight to unveil the rattling skeletons in their cupboards, nothing meaningful comes out of it.
To several of those accused of such financial misdemeanor Nigeria is one big, slumbering elephant to be milked dry. And the easiest way to have a piece of the national cake is to get elected or appointed into any plum political post. But for how long can we go on this way? Not much longer, I dare say.

Corruption, which is a debasement of set moral values and a violation of standard professional ethics is like a two – edged sword that cuts both the victim and the misguided beneficiary. When those who have short changed the system are not brought to speedy justice it emboldens others with similar criminal inclinations to commit worse crimes.

It is responsible, as in the Nigerian politico-economic situation for the countless pot hole – riddled roads, the epileptic power supply, pervasive preventable diseases and mass youth employment that have turned into daylight monsters haunting us all.

As one admonished the then President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in 2017 so I do now to the President Bola Tinubu-led government. To shame all critics he must muster the political will, backed with the enabling laws by the National Assembly to transform both the EFCC and the ICPC into well toothed bulldogs that bark and bite. And no one, no matter his political persuasion, must be above the rule of law. As Isabel Allende aptly stated: ” Nothing is as dangerous as power with impunity”.

Opinion

Skills Acquisition: Way Forward for Nigeria’s Educational Development

Published

4 weeks ago

June 19, 2025

Eric

By Ayo Oyoze Baje

“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways” – Robert Greene

As concerned Nigerians keep deliberating on the best way to navigate the twists and turns inherent in our education delivery system, if yours truly has his way secondary school students should be spending three days of each week for theoretical knowledge and two for practical skills development. These include skills such as tailoring/fashion design, hair dressing and carpentry. Others include building construction, painting, domestic farming, singing, acting, oratory and comedy.

This has become more expedient because in 2023, Nigeria ranked 100th out of 100 countries in Coursera’s Global Skills Report in terms of skill proficiency. Incidentally, the country also ranked low within the Sub-Saharan Africa, placed 12th out of 13 countries.In fact, other African nations such as Botswana and Cameroon outperformed Nigeria in the same report. This was an indication of a significant skills gap in the country. But recent indicators suggest an increase performance that should be built on. For instance, Nigeria showed the fourth-highest year-on-year growth rate for Professional Certificates enrollments on Coursera. This clearly suggests a growing awareness and participation in skills development initiatives which should be built on.

For instance, the unemployment rate in Nigeria stands at about 4.84% in 2025, according to Statista. com. This translates to an estimated 5.74 million people who are unemployed. Similarly, the youth unemployment rate is around 7.50% according to Trading Economics.

Given the current global influence of information technology, the expanding impact of Artificial intelligence ( AI ) and the soaring influence of climate change. Others include the increasing need to ride the freaky waves of economic survival, and the stifling space for employment, not only in Nigeria but across the globe. Yet, the country is abundantly blessed with rare talents in different fields of human endeavour.

Mention names such as Silas Adekunle, known for his robotics expertise and the world’s first intelligent gaming robot or Riya Karumanchi, who invented a device to assist visually impaired individuals the importance of skills acquisition in the development of the talents of our youth gradually dawns on us.

It is a similar scenario when the name of
Hassan and Hussaini Muhammad, who created a way to convert petrol, water, salt, and alum into hydrogen cooking gas crop up. And out there there are other young Nigerian inventors such as Khalifa Aminu (FM transmitter), Muazzam Sani (remote-controlled car), and the team behind the smart walkway light and automatic irrigation. The importance of skills acquisition cannot therefore, be over emphasized.
.

Put in its simple terms, skills acquisition is crucial for Nigerian students academic development, because it enhances their employability, as well as boosts entrepreneurship. In fact, it contributes to overall national development. According to experts on educational development it empowers students to be self-reliant, reduces poverty and unemployment, and also provides them with a global perspective.

The impact and import of students’s skills acquisition is amply deployed in Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun state. There, students are exposed to the practical aspect of whatever course they are studying such that seasoned professionals are invited to deliver the practical aspect of their theoretical knowledge.Such is the impact that engineering students have become problem solvers. They have constructed pavements, fences, designed and built solid infrastructure.

Furthermore, the Centre for Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurial Studies (CATES) has come up as a key initiative at the same university. As a noble cause it was established to foster practical, solution-oriented approaches to agricultural and entrepreneurial development within the university and the wider community. The skills promoting aspect of it is that CATES focuses on areas such as poultry technology, aquaculture, cassava farming, and mushroom culture. It also operates a vegetable farm and a plantain farm on campus. All these explain why graduates of the citadel of knowledge become self employed, with several of them kick starting the process right from the University as undergraduates. All these boost their financial independence while they contribute to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP.

Skills acquisition therefore,
increases employability, more so in today’s competitive job market. Having relevant skills makes students more attractive to employers. These include skills such as digital literacy, communication, and problem-solving, which are highly valued across various industries.Entrepreneurship programs teach them how to start and manage their own businesses. This eventually, leads to economic growth and improved living standards with appreciable Human Development Index, HDI. By equipping students with practical skills, skill acquisition programs can assist to lift individuals and families out of the terrifying trap of poverty and ultimately reduce the unemployment rate for the country.

From the global perspective, many skills are transferable across borders. This is one good lesson learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigerian students can latch on it to participate in the global economy through remote work or international collaborations. It also fosters confidence in students, assist them to adapt to the global socio-economic dynamics,while instilling a sense of accomplishment in them, thereby contributing to overall personal growth.

Of great significance, is that
a skilled workforce is essential for the nation’s economic growth and technological advancement. Overall, the skill acquisition programs contribute to building a more productive and innovative society. So Nigeria work on the report which highlighted specific skill areas where it lags, especially technology and data science.

Nigeria should also learn from countries that stand out for their high levels of skill acquisition and development. These include Northern European nations such as Finland, Norway, and Sweden which consistently rank high, along with Switzerland, Singapore, and Germany. These countries often prioritize education, training, and creating opportunities for their populations to acquire and utilize a wide range of skills. As rightly noted by Malcolm X: ” Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”.