The Federal Government is set to introduce a major change in agricultural education across Nigeria’s polytechnics and colleges of education, with practical training expected to make up 80 per cent of the curriculum.
The reform will reduce theoretical learning to 20 per cent, replacing the previous 70 per cent theoretical and 30 per cent practical structure.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the development on Thursday while receiving the report of the committee that reviewed agricultural curricula for polytechnics and colleges of education.
According to Alausa, the new approach is designed to ensure Nigerian students graduate with practical skills they can immediately apply in farming, agribusiness, agro-processing and other areas of the agricultural value chain.
“The ultimate objective is to ensure that young Nigerians acquire practical skills that can be applied beyond the classroom.”
FG wants agriculture to create more jobs
Alausa said the reform is part of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to reposition agriculture from a largely theoretical field into a skills-based sector capable of creating jobs and opening new economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
He said the reviewed curriculum would help close the gap between what students learn in school and the skills demanded by the labour market.
The minister also stressed that the success of the new curriculum would depend on proper implementation, adequate facilities and effective training for teachers.
He called for greater collaboration among academics, industry players and other stakeholders to ensure the practical component is properly delivered.
36 new and reviewed ND, HND curricula produced
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, said the curriculum review involved the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Skills Council, industry representatives and academics.
She said the broad collaboration helped ensure that the new programmes reflect the current needs of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Presenting the report, NBTE Executive Secretary Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaje disclosed that the committee produced 36 new and reviewed National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula.
It also developed three National Certificate in Education (NCE) curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards (NOS).
Bugaje explained that 27 of the occupational standards were newly developed, while four existing standards were reviewed.
He said the work had been completed and the resulting documents approved by the relevant regulatory bodies, with the full curricula expected to be formally unveiled at a later event.
Government targets practical skills
The Federal Government said it will continue working with educational institutions, NBTE, industry and other stakeholders to ensure the reforms translate from policy documents into actual training in classrooms and practical centres.
The initiative is expected to strengthen agricultural skills among Nigerian youths and encourage more graduates to pursue productive careers and businesses across the agricultural value chain.
Source: Federal Ministry of Education; National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
