Akwa Ibom PDP candidate urges youths to pursue education and skills

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Emem Coffie, has urged Nigerian youths to pursue education and skills acquisition instead of seeking quick success. Coffie made the call while speaking to journalists on Wednesday. He said the growing belief that education was a waste of time could harm youth development, arguing that academic knowledge provides the foundation for specialisation and professional competence.

The candidate said education had contributed to the development of advanced countries and should not be dismissed because some successful people did not attend university. He cited technical fields, including robotics and engineering, where scientific knowledge and practical training must work together. Coffie said he had sponsored hundreds of students in Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Abuja as part of his support for young people.

However, he stressed that university education should not be treated as the only route to success. He called for government backing for vocational training, entrepreneurship and other trades. He also urged reforms that would help students complete university earlier, identify their talents and specialise without unnecessary delays.

On employment, Coffie advocated industrialisation in Akwa Ibom and said young people should be trained for industries that could be established in the state. He identified oil and gas, refineries, gas processing and steel plants as potential sources of jobs, and proposed paid apprenticeship schemes linked to those sectors. He also proposed affordable loans for small and medium-sized businesses and cottage industries in every local government area.

Palm oil processing and briquette production from palm-kernel waste were among the opportunities he identified. Coffie said his development agenda, “A New Drive Back to the Genesis,” would focus on human capital, industrialisation, skills and small-business support. He also called for continuity on projects including the deep seaport, science park, airport, roads and power plants, arguing that road construction alone could not provide sustainable incomes.