Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Biyi Poroye, has called on Nigerian youths to embrace technical and vocational education as the surest path to innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable national development.
Delivering the Convocation Lecture on Thursday, 23rd October, 2025, at the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, as part of activities marking the institution’s 12th–23rd Combined Convocation Ceremony, Poroye described technical education as the “engine room of industrialization and self-reliance” in any developing economy.
According to him, nations that have achieved rapid transformation did so by prioritizing skill-based learning over paper qualifications.
“Nigeria cannot achieve meaningful progress without a strong commitment to technical and vocational education,” he said. “Every youth must see skills as capital and innovation as the new oil.”
Poroye commended Rufus Giwa Polytechnic for its consistency in promoting hands-on training and practical education despite years of challenges, urging the management to sustain its focus on creativity and entrepreneurship.
He further charged the graduating students to deploy their skills in solving real-life problems, saying, “The world does not reward certificates, it rewards competence and creativity.”
In his welcome address, the Acting Rector, Mr. Olorunwa Simon Adegun, reaffirmed the institution’s dedication to nurturing graduates who will become catalysts for national growth. He expressed gratitude to the Ondo State Government, under Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for its continued support for the Polytechnic.
Adegun noted that the convocation was a celebration of resilience and renewal, describing the graduation of over 25,000 students after a 12-year break as “a milestone in the Polytechnic’s journey towards academic excellence.”
In his goodwill message, the Acting Registrar, Mr. O. M. Oloye, praised the determination of the students and urged them to remain ambassadors of hard work, discipline, and innovation wherever they find themselves.
Also present at the event were the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Tob Loko; former Governing Council Chairman, Professor Akinyemiju; the Rector of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, Dr. Hashim Sabo Bello; and the Chief Executive Officer of Aduro Foundation, Dr. Anthony Aduro.
Professor Olugbenga Ige of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, who delivered a goodwill remark, applauded the Polytechnic’s management for repositioning the institution for greater impact. He advised the graduates to uphold integrity and professionalism in their respective fields.
The lecture, themed “Technical Education as a Catalyst for Innovation and Sustainable Development,” underscored the Polytechnic’s renewed focus on equipping young Nigerians with practical skills that can drive industrial and technological advancement.