Abuja: Government Secondary School (GSS) Wuse Zone 3 has emerged as the overall winner at the 2025 edition of the Vocational Festival, a talent hunt event featuring secondary schools from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The school outperformed others to claim the top position at the grand finale held on Friday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the event included competitions in activities such as community service challenge projects, crafts, culinary arts, dance performances, and cultural displays. Other schools that achieved significant success at the event were GSS Kuje, GSS Ushafa, GSS Dangara, GSS Bwari, GSS Byazhin, GSS Mpape, Government Girls Secondary School Abaji, and Government Science Secondary Tungamaje.
Ossai Ilome, the convener of the Vocational Festival, emphasized the initiative’s role as a platform to ignite innovation, community service, and creativity among young individuals in the FCT. He stated that the event, themed ‘Showcasing Skills, Promoting Culture’, positions education and vocational training as essential tools for youth empowerment, aiming to empower secondary school students in the territory. The festival was organized in partnership with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Secondary Education Board (SEB), which Ilome praised for supporting initiatives that empower students beyond the classroom.
Ilome highlighted that the Vocational Festival also underscores the cultural diversity of the FCT, promoting unity, entrepreneurship, and council pride, while providing students with a platform to discover their voices and potential. He expressed concerns over the abandonment of traditional skills for white-collar jobs, emphasizing the need to revitalize the economy and safeguard against disruptions from artificial intelligence by fostering unique skill sets.
Dr. Mohammed Ladan, Director of FCT SEB, represented by Ehidiamen Gladys, emphasized that the program aligns with the board’s vision of providing balanced education for students in the FCT. He noted that the initiative aims to celebrate the creativity, innovation, and cultural richness of students through the festival, which promotes cultural diversity by showcasing traditional dance, cuisine, and beauty, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the region.
The Vocational Festival is an annual initiative designed to celebrate and elevate vocational skills, creativity, and cultural heritage among students. Preliminaries were held across various council clusters in the FCT, showcasing young talents in community service projects, skills and crafts, culinary arts, performance, and cultural displays. The festival crowns young ambassadors of skill and culture, fostering pride, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment, with highlights including beauty pageants, cultural performances, and special awards for youth empowerment initiatives.