Abuja varsity to equip students with tech, entrepreneurship skills

Veritas University Abuja is investing N1.3 billion in a new Skills and Innovation Hub to address Nigeria's rising graduate unemployment and widening skills gap. The facility, slated for completion by January next year, aims to equip students with industry-relevant competencies, enhancing their employability after graduation.

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This is a massive project for us because it is supposed to be the melting pot for all manner of skills in the university. The structure will cost us N1.3 billion. Work has already started, and the contractor is expected to deliver it by the end of January.

The hub will provide practical training across various fields, including technology, entrepreneurship, fashion design, music, and creative arts. University officials emphasize that academic degrees alone are insufficient in today's competitive job market. Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Archbishop of the Abuja Catholic Diocese, officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for the project.

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We want students with different talents to come here to develop and showcase their abilities. We are going to equip the centre with the best facilities we can afford because no student should pass through Veritas University without acquiring a skill.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku described the hub as a strategic investment designed to produce graduates capable of creating jobs and solving real-world problems. He stated that the center will serve as the university's primary platform for practical learning, utilizing modern equipment and digital technologies. "We want students with different talents to come here to develop and showcase their abilities. We are going to equip the centre with the best facilities we can afford because no student should pass through Veritas University without acquiring a skill," he said.

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Skill is the key thing today. If you are a student today and you do not have a skill beyond your certificate, you are going to be in real serious trouble.

Ichoku stressed that universities must evolve beyond merely awarding certificates to producing graduates with practical skills that meet employer demands and the changing global economy. Veritas University is partnering with global technology firms like Cisco and Microsoft to ensure students receive internationally recognized professional certifications alongside their academic degrees. "In technology, for example, we provide Cisco and Microsoft training, and every student who passes through Veritas will be certified by Cisco and Microsoft," he added.

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In technology, for example, we provide Cisco and Microsoft training, and every student who passes through Veritas will be certified by Cisco and Microsoft. This building is meant to institutionalise what we are already doing.