…says SS1-SS3 should be purely for skills acquisition
Former Cross River State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has proposed restricting Nigerians below the age of 18 from obtaining visas to study abroad.
Duke stated this while speaking on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, where he also called for a major overhaul of Nigeria’s secondary school education system
The former governor said students in Senior Secondary School 1 to 3 (SS1-SS3) should focus primarily on acquiring practical and vocational skills rather than preparing solely for university education.
“For me, SS1 to SS3 should be purely skills acquisition,” Duke said.
He explained that students should be encouraged to identify areas they have a flair for and develop practical skills in such fields.
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“They should be able to identify what they have a flair for — masonry, plumbing, whatever,” he said.
According to Duke, Nigerian students should leave secondary school with skills capable of providing them with a means of livelihood, whether or not they eventually proceed to university.
On studying abroad, Duke said he would restrict children below 18 from obtaining educational visas, arguing that young Nigerians should complete their secondary education in the country
“I’ll ensure that no child… is given a visa for education except it’s from university level up,” he said.
He expressed concern that sending children abroad at a very young age could disconnect them from their culture and make it difficult for them to fully integrate into either Nigerian or foreign society.
“When you start sending kids at the age of nine abroad, you’re deculturalizing,” Duke said.
He added, “They end up going there, they are neither citizens there, they’ll never be accepted there, and they can’t fit in here.”
The former governor maintained that keeping children in Nigeria through secondary school would help retain educational spending within the country, create jobs and encourage investment in the local education sector.
Duke also called for a globally relevant curriculum, with greater emphasis on emerging fields.
“We need to look at information technology, cybertronics, and all those things,” he said.
He argued that such reforms would equip young Nigerians with practical skills while preparing them for the changing demands of the global economy.