Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun on Saturday in Abeokuta said his administration would focus on strengthening technical and vocational training as part of efforts to address unemployment in the state.

Abiodun stated this when he received the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, in his office in Abeokuta.

The governor explained that unemployment had become an issue which needed urgent attention in order to avoid its repercussions.

“It is not every university graduate that will desire to work for someone else, hence the need for technical training.

“Strengthening the technical and vocational sub-sector of education will create employment opportunities and bring down the crime rate as there is a connection between unemployment, illiteracy and crime,” he said.

Gov. Abiodun said the state has the highest number of educational institutions in Nigeria and that in itself has presented another set of problems.

“When you are graduating so many students every year and if they are idle, then you have a problem and you need to begin to think ahead.

“To that extent, part of our focus in the next four years is to strengthen our technical and vocational training, believing that it is not everyone who has gone to the university that will want to work for someone.

“We will match that university education with technical training and proper apprenticeship like we saw when I went with President Bola Tinubu to India where apprenticeship is properly structured .

“Those under training are paid not like here where you are learning a trade without being paid,” he said.

Abiodun also said significant progress had been made by imparting on every sector of the state.

He congratulated Madein, saying that the people of the state were proud of her.

Earlier, Madein lauded the present administration for its efforts at attracting more investors into the state, noting with delight the giant strides the state was making in the area of industrialisation.

“I commend the state government for creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and for making the provision of infrastructure like good road network its priority.

“Also, Ogun has became home for those who work in Lagos because of the proactiveness of the government in providing needed infrastructure, including security of lives and property,” she said.

The Accountant-General of the Federation expressed delight that forests were disappearing in the state and being replaced with industries.

”Ogun remain a state one can look forward to for development outside Lagos State,” she said.(NAN)