Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, Group Controller, Current and Public Affairs, TVC Communications Limited, and ACE Broadcaster, has lamented the undervaluing of practical skills in Nigeria, particularly in light of the country’s growing youth population and increasing skills gap.
He made this known at a public lecture themed: “Technical Education and National Development: The Place of AI, Its Credibility, Trust, and Transparency.” The lecture was held at Yaba College of Technology in honour of Dr Omobayo Taofeek Raheem, immediate past Director of the Centre for Information, Communication and Public Relations, CICPR, and former Deputy Rector of the college.
Kolade-Otitoju, in a paper delivered by his representative, Managing Editor, and Chief Executive Officer of Premium Eagle Media Limited, the publisher of The Eagle Online and owner of The Eagle Online Nigeria YouTube channel, Dotun Oladipo, challenged the national obsession with certificates over capabilities.
“In Nigeria, practical skills are undervalued. We must begin to shift from relying on paper qualifications to focusing on practical competencies. Technical education offers a viable alternative, equipping youths with the hands-on expertise that the economy desperately needs,” he said. Kolade-Otitoju emphasised how internships, industry partnerships, and applied learning can help close the unemployment gap while fostering innovation in sectors ranging from engineering to digital media.
He also called on President Bola Tinubu to see to the implementation of the bill abolishing the dichotomy between Higher National Diploma and university degrees, urging increased funding for polytechnics nationwide. Delivering the welcome address, the Rector of Yaba College of Technology, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, described the lecture as both a tribute and a strategic forum.
Abdul said: “We are gathered to celebrate a man of repute and, at the same time, reflect on a subject that is of immense importance to national development. “The future of education, especially technical education, is inseparably linked to technology and, most notably, artificial intelligence.” The Rector said that beyond policy and pedagogy, the event served to honour Dr Raheem for his years of service to the college and his leadership of CICPR.
He said: “This event is a reaffirmation of our commitment to excellence as Dr Raheem leaves a legacy of principled leadership and unwavering dedication.” He described him as a mentor, visionary, and bridge-builder whose tenure strengthened the institution’s communication strategy and academic visibility.
The Chairman of the lecture and Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Dr Mukail Akinde, argued that technical education must evolve to include emerging technologies. Akinde said, “Artificial Intelligence has become one of the most revolutionary forces in modern development, and its integration into technical education enhances training quality and prepares students for high-demand roles in automation, data science, and robotics.”
He emphasised that the ethical deployment of AI must be grounded in credibility, trust, and transparency, but cautioned against the unchecked proliferation of AI tools that lack these values. He called for interdisciplinary collaboration among developers, educators, and policymakers. He elaborated on real-world use cases, including intelligent tutoring systems, AI-powered coding assistants, virtual labs, and automated assessment tools, which demonstrate AI’s power to personalise learning and boost student performance in technical fields. He warned that without ethical safeguards, the technology could bring about more inequalities or promote bias and “it is not whether we use AI, but how responsibly we do so”.
