The Delta State Commissioner for Technical Education, Hon. Smart Ijeoma Ufoh, shared insights into his ministry’s 2025 budget after defending it before the Interministerial Budget Committee. The budget defense session was organized by the Ministry of Economic Planning in Asaba, Delta State’s capital.
Speaking to journalists after his presentation, Hon. Ufoh described the experience as both challenging and rewarding. “As you know, it is my first time and the anxiety and others, but to God be the glory, I have a very big team that works tirelessly, and we came out with a blueprint which is the budget estimate for 2025. The committee invited me, and this morning, I was overestimating; I thought it was like Mountain Olympus, but I came and behold, everything was so simplified. So, I made my presentation. I am not my judge, but the people I presented to will judge, but I know that at the end of the day, I was commended for a job well done,” he said.
Providing an overview of the ministry’s achievements and future plans, Hon. Ufoh noted, “Well, let me start from last year that over 39.6 per cent has been achieved based on our performance. Although some memos, some approvals, and some releases have been done, which were not captured in this 39.6 per cent, which means our performance cannot be judged by this 39.6 per cent because of many approvals. Funds have been released to contractors who have authorized certificates. So, if you evaluate that into the present reality, the ministry has performed more than 60 per cent.”
He further explained that the budget is merely a proposal until it is followed by approvals from the state government. “After the budget comes the real work and fight for approval, and if His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori does not focus on you, and there is no approval for your ministry; the budget will just be laid down, which means there is no execution to perform, and by the end of the year, you will be rated by your percentage performance.”
Regarding the ministry’s focus for 2025, Hon. Ufoh highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize technical education across Delta State. “Based on what we have on the ground and what I have met, we have nine technical colleges, and out of this, we are constructing five as model because we are done with three among the schools. We have three technical colleges that have taken on. You know the difference between model and technical. Technical is of the old type, but the model is where the world is going. Model is where we have vocational studies, workshops, and equipment where we can construct things with sophisticated equipment.”
He pointed out the advances made with the model technical schools, noting the difference from traditional institutions. “If you have seen the new model in Asaba, you will see the structures just like a mini university. So it is very convenient for parents to send their children to occupy and attend this kind of school, leaving the old kind of technical education or colleges. So, presently, we have three colleges going on, and Omadino is one of the Model Technical Schools that we will be commissioning this December by His Excellency. Approval has been made, and we are waiting for funds from the contractor who has been issued a certificate. We are already at the last stage of the project, and once that is done, they will do the work, and everything will be done. In December or January, His Excellency will commission Omadino to make it four model technical schools that will be active.”
He emphasized that the goal is to eventually upgrade all existing technical colleges to modern facilities. “Model technical colleges are where the new approach to technical studies is. The other ones that are there as technical colleges, not models, are of the old type. There are plans for the ministry to upgrade those so that by the end of the day, we would be able to have each of the model technical colleges in each of the local government areas. Although what we proposed is not enough based on the activities that we have, we will get there because we have started, and this is the first step in it. By the end of the day, everything will be forwarded to His Excellency to present the budget to the state House of Assembly.”
Hon. Ufoh’s presentation indicates a commitment to transforming the technical education landscape in Delta State, ensuring students have access to model, vocational training facilities that can prepare them for future careers in various industries.
