President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has called on developing nations to lay emphasis on technical and vocational education as a tool for accelerated industrial development and growth.
Speaking at the Global Education First Initiative Anniversary & Learning for All Round Table held in New York, the United States, Dangote said that developing nations need a paradigm shift in their educational system in order to spur technological development.
According to him, time has come for developing economies especially those of African extraction to focus on vocational/technical education to provide requisite skills that should drive the quest for industrial development in their respective countries.
He stressed that the same strategy was used by the Koreans and Asian Tigers to effectively transform from backwards to front line economies adding that since it has worked in several countries, all African countries need is the need and strong drive to make it work.
Dangote who identified women as a powerful aspect of the population called for increase in the involvement of the girl child in education as right education can have a dramatic impact on women productivity. He also called for the training of the youths who are the future leaders to have the skills that will equip them for leadership.
Speaking on the activities of the Group in promoting quality leadership, he stated that Dangote Group sponsors young people from Africa to the World Economic Forum meetings to expose them to learn the art of leadership from leading global businessmen and statesmen.
According to him, these young attendees on returning are equipped with the necessary skills to provide the right mix of leadership needed to help solve perceived loopholes and challenges in the domestic economy.
Over 70 outstanding young African professionals benefitted from this project, which is one of the Group’s numerous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitments.
Dangote Group, he added floated an academy where graduates of technical fields are trained to acquire requisite skills and then deployed to work in the several factories within the group.
Dangote explaining his Group’s commitment to leadership and education said “We are equally committed to building generations of young global leaders who are empowered to take responsibility for their own lives and for making a difference in the world.
“At Dangote Group, we believe that youths are the future leaders. We believe that youths should be empowered to lead. We believe that empowered youths are great leaders! That is why we are committed to the empowerment of youths,” he said.
