RAYMOND OZOJI
Provost of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River, Enugu State Nigeria, Dr. Owan Obodagu Tonica, has said that the institution was established to boost local production and guarantee industrialization in the country.
The provost stated that unlike the regular universities and other institutions of higher education, the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, offers a world of opportunities to young Nigerians who wish to become producers and manufacturers of locally made goods for domestic and foreign markets.
He said the college recently introduced entrepreneurial education with valid certifications recognised universally; that such skills were required to boost and increase local production, adding that such were the opportunities at the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Enugu State, where he said they have zero tolerance to amoral behaviours coupled with all forms of indiscipline, indecency and indecorous attitudes as they model students in character and learning.
The provost noted that skills like catering, POP making, Alumaco production and many others were endeavours Nigerians especially the younger generation could acquire procedural trainings and mentorship sessions especially in areas where they have comparative advantage.
The Head of the institution further explained that the college was well situated in the rural area to meet the demands of rural dwellers as well as help to urbanise such areas as clearly evident in the very pivotal role the Federal Cooperative College Oji River played amongst the Southeast and South-South states of Nigeria.
He said there was an urgent need for Nigerian youths to consider cooperative education as first choice amongst other choices because cooperative colleges according to him, were strike free institutions and that graduates of cooperative colleges performed exceedingly well in the corporate world as evident in some of the feedbacks they get from organisations and businesses where students of Federal Cooperative College Oji River were employees and business owners. That they get positive feedbacks from the society where their graduates function very effectively.
The Provost however, stressed the dire need for people to come to cooperatives to harness opportunities as well as explore innate potentials in various enterprises and skills which he said the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, offers on a platter of gold in a very serene and tranquil academic environment.