The Managing Director and CEO of FIDES ET RATIO Academy Ltd, Sir Paul Chukwuma, during a media chat with education correspondents on Wednesday, emphasized the need to bridge the gap between skills and theory. The purpose of the chat was to engage in an interactive session with the education correspondents, discuss collaboration, and extend partnerships in the education sector.
He shared his journey, starting as a Seminarian then to University of Nigeria where he graduated with First class in Philosophy, his offer of appiontment as graduate Assistant, then to Youth service in Abuja at the National Assembly, which marked the beginning of his career.
His involvement with the media began during his seminary days, where he served as the first deputy Editor-in-chief of the seminary magazine, eventually becoming the Editor-in-Chief.
Post Youth Service, he carried out some jobs with Amity printing press and publications that reached a wider audience. With advice from friends, he ventured into publishing, focusing on African business and investment opportunities, which led him to have affiliation with the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council.
His interest in IT and education grew as he traveled round Europe, realizing the importance of skills over paper qualifications. He observed that in some European institutions, heads of technical departments did not poses degrees certificate but possessed essential skills. This realization motivated him to establish FIDES Academy in 2006, focusing on training and bridging the gap between skills and theory knowledge set.
In 2021, he established his first university in East Africa, which became operational in 2022. Because of his love for his mother land, he also established a bigger university in his hometown Umueri in Anambra state, where he alluded to a 70% completion. His primary goal is to create an educational system that values skills alongside qualifications, allowing Nigerians to work and excel both locally and internationally. He emphasized his desire for Nigeria to be a destination of choice in education and skills.
Meanwhile, Chukwuma said he remains committed to his mission. He emphasized the need to focus on practical skills and hopes to launch projects that will further showcase the impact of his work in bridging the gap between skills and theory knowledge.
