By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos – Former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has reiterated the need for creative education to address the skills gaps in the country, and called for an end to unnecessary certifications without tangible value to the economy.

The former Governor spoke in Jos during the matriculation ceremony for the 2024/2025 University of Jos academic session where hundreds of students, including 66 foreign students from 13 African countries who graduated from the Rochas Foundation College were matriculated.

Speaking at the event, he charged the matriculating students to make good use of the opportunity to secure for themselves a better future, and assured of his commitment to partner with the institution to tackle the menace of out-of-school children as he insisted that education remains the bedrock of the society.

Okorocha noted that out of the 31,000 students of the Rochas Foundation Colleges, 10% of them are in the University of Jos, and 311 of them from Nigeria and other African countries are among the matriculating students.

“Today in Africa we have 100 million out-of-school children and it is an unacceptable figure, and it is worrisome. Still, the number is increasing in a geometrical progression. But you students here have the opportunity to go to school. I want to tell the University of Jos that Rochas Foundation wants to partner with the school to expand the scope of education and knowledge and reduce the number of out-of-school children, especially in the Northern part of the country.

“Now, education is no longer going to school to obtain a degree, education is no longer a right, but education is life, and it is that external force that will propel one to become a better person tomorrow,” he said.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Tanko Ishaya disclosed that a total of 53,912 candidates applied to the University for the 2023 and 2024 JAMB sets (25,117 for 2023 and 28,795 for 2024) out of which a total of 22,407 candidates who scored 180 and above (8,218 for 2023 and 14,189 for 2024), were screened for admission into various programmes of the University.

“With this high number of applicants, the pressure on the selection process was high and very tight. While congratulating you for being found suitable for admission at this time, you should count yourselves among the privileged ones who chose the University of jos as their first choice.”

The VC urged the students to ensure that they develop skills, values, and character that will define their future.