The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has called on Nigerian youths to adopt better skills in the hospitality and tourism industry to enhance jobs creation and poverty reduction in the country.
Its Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, gave the advice on Monday at the National Tourism Careers and Employment Exposition in Abuja.
The programme was organised by the Institute for Tourism Professionals in Nigeria (ITPN), in collaboration with the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism with the theme: “Harnessing the Versatile Tourism Career and Employment Opportunities in Nigeria’’.
Bugaje, represented by the Administrative Liaison Officer, Mr Bello AbdulHakeem, expressed concern over importation of skill workers now executing jobs in the industry due to inadequate skills acquired by Nigerian youths.
According to him, NBTE has offered 66 different trades and developed 20 National Occupation Standards to bridge the gap.
In his remarks, Mr Philip Ega-Maga, the Academic Secretary of the Institute, said that hospitality and tourism industry required the service of skill workers.
Ega-Maga said tertiary institutions and vocational centres saddled with the responsibilities, offered limited hospitality and tourism courses, adding that 10 universities offered Hospitality and Tourism courses with different curriculum in different faculties.
According to him, this resulted in having few experts and professionals in the sector. The sector also lacked career counselling agency.
“So, there is need for synergy between training institutes and tertiary institutions, because they are imperative to career building,’’ he said.
Also, the President of ITPN, Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, said that the institute organised the exposition to enable the sector to contribute more effectively and efficiently to the nation’s economy.
Odusanwo added that the expo would offer new entrants into the sector the needed guide to acquiring skills and knowledge to fit into professional job-practice well in the industry. (NAN)
