Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the National Council on Skills to focus on high-earning skills in the rapidly changing global landscape.

Mr Shettima made the call while addressing the Fourth National Council on Skills meeting on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The council established a committee on the coordination of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and states programmes on skills.

The committee, headed by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, is expected to tackle critical issues in the skills development sector,

Its terms of reference include identifying skill training in MDAs and states, identifying dominant skills in the private sector, and devising strategies for standardisation, recognition, and certification.

The council also proposed a draft bill for the Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), which aims to develop the skills of the nation’s workforce and improve the quality of skilled workers.

A separate committee chaired by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, has been tasked with reviewing the draft bill.

The vice president reiterated the importance of seizing opportunities, particularly in the digital space.

“India is expected to earn $100 billion from outsourcing alone this year.

“We have a lot of unemployed graduates who can work comfortably from their homes and earn a minimum of 40,000 dollars per annum.

“If we have one million Nigerian youths working in the digital space, we will earn more than what we generate from the sale of crude oil, and it will have a multiplier effect on our economy,” Mr Shettima said.

He urged the committees to work diligently as a team to address the challenges in the skills development sector, emphasising the need to focus on high-earning skills in the rapidly changing global landscape.

Earlier, Mr Mamman explained the importance of integrating skills into the education sector for Nigeria’s true transformation.

“The whole idea is to bring skills into the entire education sector if Nigeria is to be truly transformative. The council’s work will be a major driver in accomplishing that,” he said.

Mr Mamman also highlighted the need for conducting skills surveys and labour market information to provide policymakers with reliable and timely data on job quality, skill gaps, and policy design for poverty reduction.

On his part, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi described the council as an excellent initiative by Mr Shettima to ensure that youth, women and people with intellect can be gainfully employed.

(NAN)