Too much emphasis on paper qualification has produced Nigerians that are "educated illiterates" without initiative, Chairman Senate Committee on Education Uche Chukwumerije has said.

Chukwumerije, who made the statement in Abuja yesterday, said after 50 years of independence, Nigeria is still relying on imported goods because it has not empowered the middle level manpower.

He said countries like Ghana and South Africa are making impact because they have placed value on skills development.

He said those managing the education sector should to give priority to technical and vocational education to produce skilled and quality level manpower that would drive the economy.