The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has urged the urgent rehabilitation of the Community Technical College, Ikot Akata, in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, to restore its role as a centre for technical and engineering education in the state.
The call followed a motion of urgent public importance moved on Wednesday by the member representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency, Uwem Imoh-Ita. Imoh-Ita lamented that the college, which once produced skilled technicians for industries along the state’s coastal corridor, has fallen into serious disrepair.
The lawmaker highlighted that classroom blocks are dilapidated, with some roofless, while workshops for practical training are poorly equipped or completely lacking the necessary tools. He also noted that inadequate funding, a shortage of qualified technical instructors, and poor security have weakened the institution’s capacity to deliver effective technical and vocational education.
The college previously played a strategic role in manpower development for the oil and gas sector, training technicians and engineers who later worked with companies operating along the state’s shores. In May 2018, ExxonMobil, through its affiliate Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a Technical Skills Acquisition Centre within the college. The centre was designed as a three-block training complex with workshops, laboratories, lecture rooms, a library, faculty offices, conference rooms, and other facilities to strengthen vocational education.
The facility was expected to train over 100 students annually in specialised skills relevant to oil and gas operations, including pipeline fabrication, welding, electrical works, chemical laboratory practice, civil works, and engineering design. The project formed part of a N13 billion investment package by ExxonMobil in the state, which also included a Trauma Centre at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital and an Engineering Complex at the University of Uyo. However, despite the groundbreaking ceremony and the project’s strategic importance, the skills centre and other planned investments have yet to materialise.
Imoh-Ita warned that continued neglect could widen the skills gap among youths in Mkpat Enin and exacerbate unemployment. Following deliberations, the Assembly urged the state government to immediately rehabilitate the college, provide modern equipment and instructional materials, improve funding, recruit qualified instructors, and strengthen security.
Adopting the motion, the Speaker of the Assembly, Udeme Otong, directed the Clerk, Nsikak-Abasi Orok, to communicate the resolution to the Governor for necessary action.
