Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo, has awarded National Skills Qualification (NSQ) certificates to 14,603 trainees under its Centre for Innovation and Skills Acquisition (CISA).
The ceremony marked the graduation of the institution’s first batch of trainees certified under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
The Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Salisu Umar, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Benin.
Umar said the graduates received training in more than 12 vocational and technical fields, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT), agriculture, hospitality, animal husbandry, commercial administration, cosmetology, fashion design and leather works.
He said the graduation was a milestone in promoting skills acquisition, self-reliance, and youth empowerment.
According to him, CISA was established to produce competent artisans capable of contributing to national development through quality vocational education.
He said the initiative aligned with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)’s NSQF, which provides competency-based assessment and nationally recognised certification for skilled workers.
The rector added that the framework placed certified artisans on a professional footing comparable to those in the formal education system.
“The Centre for Innovation and Skills Acquisition was established in line with national and international best practices to produce competent artisans capable of providing quality services that will contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
Umar said the institution remained committed to producing globally competitive manpower through technical and vocational education.
He added that the centre had expanded beyond serving its immediate environment and was positioned to provide skills training for participants from across Nigeria and beyond.
The rector urged the graduates to apply the knowledge and practical skills acquired to create jobs, improve service delivery and contribute to economic development.
