The National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, has conferred a Merit Award on Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo. The citation is lofty, “remarkable commitment to advancing TVET” and “repositioning education as a catalyst for sustainable development.”
Let’s pause there.
The Governor has been in office for less than two years. And this award organizations can’t stop amusing me. For less than two years in office, we are already handing out lifetime-style honours for “visionary leadership” and “steadfast commitment.”
To be fair, TVET needs champions. Nigeria’s economy will not run on certificates alone. We need welders, coders, mechanics, and agro-processors. If Okpebholo is truly investing in technical colleges, skills acquisition centers, and industry partnerships in Edo, that should be applauded.
But awards lose meaning when they come this early, and this often. What exactly has changed on the ground in Edo polytechnics in nineteen months? New workshops? Equipment? Industry MOUs? Graduate employment rates? Or is it billboards, ground-breakings, and press statements?
NAPS should protect its credibility. Students know the difference between real reform and political tourism. Conferring awards for promises rather than outcomes teaches young people that optics matter more than output.
Governance is a marathon. Give the Governor time to build. Let the workshops be equipped, let students get jobs, let Edo’s TVET model be copied by other states.
Then the merit will be obvious. And the award will mean something.
“An award is not just a trophy, it is time, effort, and excellence made visible.” – Wayne Chirisa
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