Emem Coffie urges Akwa Ibom youths to prioritise education, skills and sustainable careers rather than chasing quick success
Akwa Ibom State PDP governorship candidate Emem Coffie has urged Nigerian youths to prioritise education, skills acquisition and sustainable careers rather than pursuing quick success, during an interaction with journalists on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
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Coffie, a civil engineer with about 35 years of professional experience, said the growing perception that education is a waste of time could undermine youth development and weaken the foundation for specialised careers.
The governorship candidate said formal education remained particularly important in technical disciplines, where theoretical knowledge provides the foundation for practical expertise.
“The truth is that engineering is probably 90 percent from scientific theory and requiring a combination of scientific and engineering knowledge, including physics, electronics, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering 10 percent empirical,” Coffie said.
He argued that young people should not dismiss university education simply because some successful individuals built careers without attending university.
In his view, developed economies have relied on structured education and professional systems to build specialised skills.
Coffie also pointed to robotics as an example of a field requiring a combination of scientific and engineering knowledge, including physics, electronics, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.
The PDP candidate said he had sponsored hundreds of students in Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Abuja, describing support for education as part of his broader commitment to youth development.
At the same time, Coffie stressed that university education should not be treated as the only route to a productive career.
“Everybody doesn’t need to go to university, that’s why we get everybody wrong, but whatever level, whatever trade you should apply, the government should support you, train you, and make you relevant,” he said.
He called for reforms that would allow young people to complete their education earlier, identify their strengths and specialise without unnecessary delays.
Coffie also linked education with employment, arguing that young people should be trained in areas connected to industries capable of creating jobs in Akwa Ibom.
He identified oil and gas, refineries, gas processing and steel production as potential areas for industrial expansion, while proposing apprenticeship programmes that would combine practical training with financial support.
“You begin to prepare them, empower them to programme the way they will learn such skills, and within that period pay them, even if they are doing an apprenticeship scheme, pay them during that period so that you can encourage them to participate in such,” he said.
The candidate also proposed greater support for small and medium-scale businesses, including access to affordable loans for traders and entrepreneurs seeking to expand.
Coffie said cottage industries could also be established across Akwa Ibom’s local government areas, allowing communities to process local raw materials and create employment closer to where people live.
He cited palm oil processing and the production of briquettes from palm kernel waste as examples of activities that could support small-scale industrial development.
Beyond youth employment, Coffie called for continuity in Akwa Ibom’s development planning.
He urged successive administrations to revisit projects contained in the state’s original development master plan rather than abandoning them when political leadership changes.
Among the projects he referenced were the deep seaport, science park, airport, road network and power plants.
Coffie argued that infrastructure alone could not adequately address poverty without industries and businesses capable of generating jobs and sustainable incomes.
“Road construction is interesting but road construction does not put food on the table of people,” he said.
His proposed development agenda, which he described as “A New Drive Back to the Genesis,” centres on human capital development, industrialisation, skills acquisition and support for small businesses.
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The proposals place education alongside vocational training and industrial development, reflecting Coffie’s argument that preparing young people for work must go beyond academic qualifications to include practical skills and access to productive opportunities.
