Akwa Ibom State has said that it was ready to help re-position the country in capacity-building in Ocean Science and Technology.
Governor Godswill Akpabio who stated this at the one-day meeting with principals of secondary and heads of primary schools in the state said this followed approval of Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering and Marine Environmental Sciences by National Universities Commission (NUC) for Akwa Ibom University.
"All these courses have already been approved for the university by the NUC, which implies that this University would be the first in the Country to mount a comprehensive off-shore technology training degree courses" Akpabio noted.
He remarked that as a major coastal state in the country and rich in off-shore oil and gas resources, Akwa Ibom would soon lead Nigeria in technological development.
"At the Akwa Ibom State University , we are committed to the establishment of world-class conventional, truly multi-disciplinary institution with a multi-campus structure. It will offer degrees in engineering and technology, science, agriculture and in professional specializations in the humanities notably management science, law, education and social science," Chief Akapbio revealed.
The governor commended the University for completing the formulation of its academic brief which is a curriculum document that comprises the nine schools, 54 departments and 66 degree programmes.
On the welfare of teachers in the secondary and primary schools in the state, he promised to ensure that teachers are properly rewarded and to engage in training and re-training of teachers for effective service delivery.
"Teachers should know that this administration celebrates teaching and is in partnership with them to create a proud environment for learning activities," Akpabio remarked.
He enjoined different stakeholders in educational sector at the meeting to freely talk and contribute ideas on how to lay a solid foundation for free education in the state, adding "let us commit ourselves to building our future and bequeathing to our children the greatest legacy a future can give to a son -education."
Dr Nseabasi Akpan, Akwa Ibom Education commissioner lauded the governor’s vision for the introduction of free, compulsory education at the primary and secondary schools levels, but called on the principals, heads of schools and teachers to cooperate with the government of the implementation the scheme to ensure its success.