The partnership between the Kwara State Government and the City and Guild (C&G) of London in the operations of the International Vocational Centre, Ajasse-Ipo, Kwara State will benchmark quality training of technical graduates and entrepreneurs for the international market.

The Regional Head for Africa of City and Guild, Mr Juan Visser gave this assurance when he led a team on the assessment of the International Vocational Centre.

Mr. Visser said the interaction between the C&G team and the Kwara State Government showed high level commitment by the state government to making the Centre an International institute.

He said his team was excited by the concept, the background and the delivery of the International Vocational Centre, assuring the governor that the qualification that would be offered at the centre are "also recognized on many frameworks around the world including the national framework of the United Kingdom and the training would be equivalent to what you will get in top notch schools in the United Kingdom, in Malaysia and Dubai".

The City and Guild team leader noted that although he had seen similar institutions across the world, but the structuring of the Ajasse-Ipo centre makes it feasible and sustainable, adding that the Vocational Centre has the potential of "changing the lives and fortunes of not only Kwara but the entire West African sub region".

The Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, in his remarks, said the International Vocational Centre was established to solve huge national unemployment due to the absence of well trained technical hands to man critical areas of the national economy. "The reason why there is a huge group of unemployed people is not unconnected with the fact that the area that is supposed to support them to become entrepreneurs has largely been neglected. Thus, there is a huge gap between the transition from secondary and higher education with poorly trained people".

He explained that the curricular of the Vocational Centre were informed by the results of needs assessments in critical sectors such as Marine, Electrical, Construction and oil and gas industries.

Governor Ahmed said his administration chose the City and Guild, London on the training of the Vocational Centre because it has enviable records in the development of entrepreneurs worldwide with internationally recognized certificates.

The Synergy, the governor said, will make graduates of the Ajasse-Ipo International Vocational Centre employable anywhere in the world and also develop them into entrepreneurs and potential employers of labour.

Governor Ahmed said in line with the projection of City and Guild, an incubation Centre would be established in each of the 3 senatorial districts of the State for internship by students of the centre. The Governor assured that the vocational centre would be insulated from possible political interference so that it would be a centre of excellence in technical education and training. He was optimistic that the revival of the State and the take-off of the international Vocational Centre would engender the transformation of technical education in the country.