The Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Dr Tunji Olowolafe, has commended the Ekiti State Government for establishing six technical colleges across the state, saying the institutions could provide the practical skills needed to prepare young people for the future economy.
Olowolafe, who spoke at the Ekiti at 30 Future Summit, however, called for increased investment in the colleges, including modern equipment, updated curricula and improved training for instructors.
He said Ekiti’s strong reputation in education must now be converted into practical skills, entrepreneurship, employment and sustainable wealth creation.
In his lead paper titled, “The Path to Ekiti’s Greatness: Opportunities, Choices, and Imperatives for the Next 30 Years,” Olowolafe said the six technical colleges should be expanded and strengthened to meet the growing demand for vocational and technical education across the state’s 16 local government areas.
He identified solar installation, welding, fabrication, machinery repairs, food processing and other high-value trades as areas that could equip young people with skills for sustainable livelihoods.
According to him, Ekiti should recruit master vocational instructors from countries with advanced technical education systems to train local teachers and expose students to international standards.
“We must expand this capacity by modernising the curriculum and directly hiring master vocational instructors from nations with elite technical education systems, such as Switzerland, Germany, Canada and South Africa, to train our faculty and connect our colleges digitally to clients and employers everywhere,” he said.
Olowolafe, who is also Pro-Chancellor of Miva Open University, pledged to partner with the state government to establish upgraded, modern and solar-powered ICT centres in the six technical colleges.
He also proposed partnerships with international mining schools to develop the Geology Department of EKSU into a world-class institution within five years.
The EKSU Chancellor said Ekiti’s educational advantage must also be matched with investments in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, automation and renewable energy.
He described the Ekiti Knowledge Zone as a major initiative capable of connecting young people and technology businesses in the state with opportunities in global markets.
According to him, the project, conceived under former Governor Kayode Fayemi and being implemented by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, could enable young people to build technology-based businesses from Ekiti while serving clients within and outside Nigeria.
“On the digital side, the Ekiti Knowledge Zone is now under way. Conceived under former Governor Kayode Fayemi and being implemented by His Excellency, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, once complete, it will give our young people a place to build technology ventures without leaving Ekiti, serving clients in Lagos, London and Singapore, and bringing that income home to Ekiti. That is how education becomes wealth,” he said.
Olowolafe also advocated renewable-energy-powered microgrids across the state’s 177 wards, saying reliable electricity was essential for schools, healthcare facilities, workshops, small businesses and industrial development.
He urged the state to collaborate with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to accelerate the initiative.
The healthcare investor further challenged scientists and skilled artisans to develop solar-powered cocoa-drying equipment to modernise cocoa processing and increase the state’s opportunities for wealth creation and foreign exchange earnings.
Olowolafe also identified the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport as evidence of the benefits of continuity in development planning, stressing that good road networks would be needed to complement the infrastructure and support industrial growth.
He called for stronger collaboration between government and citizens in identifying and addressing development needs, citing the Gbemisola Olowolafe Memorial Community Secondary School in Are-Ekiti as an example.
He said the ambition was to develop the school into a world-class institution with capacity for 600 students, offering education in science, technology, languages, arts and sports.
Olowolafe, who is Chairman of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, said the GOMTECH ICT Centre located beside the school was already providing training in artificial intelligence, coding, graphic design and Mandarin.
He also highlighted digital initiatives at EKSU since his appointment as Chancellor in 2024, including Project Digi-Teach EKSU, designed to equip all 650 lecturers with digital teaching competencies.
“The same thinking drives our work at Ekiti State University, where His Excellency appointed me Chancellor in 2024. Through Project Digi-Teach EKSU, we are bringing all 650 lecturers to full digital teaching proficiency, and our Trading Room has grown into a Senate-approved diploma programme in financial markets,” he said.
He added that high-speed Starlink internet had also been installed at 12 locations across the university campus.
At the summit, Governor Oyebanji said Ekiti must move beyond prolonged analysis of its opportunities and translate its potential into tangible prosperity, with innovation, productivity and technology playing greater roles in the state’s development.
The governor said the state must embrace new approaches to knowledge, enterprise and development as it prepares for the next phase of its growth.
He described the Ekiti Knowledge Zone as a major initiative capable of breaking international barriers in knowledge, technology and business opportunities while positioning the state to participate more actively in the global economy.
Olowolafe also commended successive administrations, leaders and other stakeholders for their contributions to Ekiti’s development over the past three decades, particularly the progress recorded in education.
