The Minister of Secondary Education was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Business Days for Technical and Vocational Schools.

The Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Nalova Lyonga attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 Business Days for Technical and Vocational Schools. Held last week in Buea, South West Region, the event was an opportunity for students to showcase their ingenuity. Fields included electricity, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, computer science, and construction.

Speaking at the event, the Minister stressed the need for young people to develop and diversify their practical skills. She also said it was important for young people today to take advantage of artificial intelligence, distance learning and digitalisation mentioning that the government is working on transforming secondary schools into skills-based education that teaches students how to solve local problems.

The former Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea also used the occasion to urge the youth to use their early years of life productively: “I want to repeat to the youth, please don’t waste the first quarter of your life. The first 25 years of your life are there for you to learn how to do something. So let us not waste the first 25 years that are meant for you to acquire more skills.”