Olusegun Adeniyi: My father was a carpenter — young Nigerians should learn skills

Olusegun Adeniyi, a former presidential spokesperson, says his late father was a carpenter.

Adeniyi spoke on Thursday at the inauguration of a new hostel built and donated to the University of Abuja by Vento Furniture.

The former presidential spokesperson, who is also an ambassador for the brand, said apart from formal education, young Nigerians should learn skills.

“Since many people know me to be a journalist, it is legitimate to ask why I am here. My association with Vento Furniture is that of a brand ambassador but for me, it goes beyond that,” he said.

“As I have had to explain in the past, my father, now of blessed memory, was a carpenter.

“Beyond formal education, young Nigerians must begin to learn to work with their hands, so that we do not have to be looking for artisans from Togo and Benin Republic.”

Adeniyi lamented that poor hostel situations across the country’s tertiary institutions have affected the quality of education negatively.

“On that occasion, we were told that despite its in-resident undergraduate students’ population of over 25,000, University of Abuja has only been able to provide accommodation for just about 6,000 students,” he said.

“But the challenge is not only in the shortage of space. Available reports across the country indicate that most of the hostels where our young men and women are sheltered are no longer fit for purpose.

“This is one of the issues negatively impacting the quality of education in Nigeria which we must address.”