Oct.23, 2023

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has advocated more funding and conversion of 60 per cent of Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics to bridge the gap in skills deficiency amongst graduates.

The Executive Secretary (ES) of NBTE, Prof Idris Bugaje, made the call on Monday in Kaduna at the North-West zone national workshop on the reviewed entrepreneurship and skills development curricular for entrepreneurship educators in Nigerian Polytechnics and similar institutions.

The theme of the workshop was ‘New approach to entrepreneurship curricular delivery’.

Bugaje, represented by his Special Assistant, Dr Ibrahim Bashir, said, ”For every Engineer produced by a university, he requires at least five technologists, 10 technicians and 20 artisans in executing projects.”

He, therefore, said that the artisans and technologists were products of Polytechnics, which called for a reverse in funding process by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) to pump more funds into polytechnics.

“As a serious nation and trying to do what is expected, we should be promoting skills and not theories.

“We should be thinking of churning out the skillful youth population out of our higher institutions.

“Our people are always thinking of migrating to Europe and Asia, some through deadly routes. If those people are well skilled with the necessary certification, they will be given red carpet reception wherever they go,” he said.

Bugaje, therefore, wondered why Nigerians were more passionate about degrees instead of skills.

He stressed the importance of curriculum, stating that it is the foundation of any good programme that wants to be created.

Bugaje said the present curriculum being administered to students in the polytechnics was developed in 2007.

According to him, there have been a lot of changes over the years, where the mantra of the NBTE was centred on skills and not degrees.

Bugaje said that the NBTE’s advocacy on skills was not in any way discouraging acquisition of degrees, but should be complemented by skills.

“Without skills, one is likely not going to fit into the contemporary competitive world. Skills are now the most important global currency of the world,” he said.

The executive secretary described the uproar by some actors about the ‘top up degree’ programme by the NBTE as uncalled for and unnecessary/

Bugaje stated that converting 60 per cent of Nigerian universities into polytechnics was the right thing to do to be seen as serious in the educational sector.

Earlier, the NBTE’s Director, Curriculum Development Department, Dr Musa Koko, said the workshop was the first in its series and the second since 2007.

He said that the last efforts in developing the entrepreneurship curriculum, teachers guide and training manual was to kick start the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) in all the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions.

Koko said the curriculum development was aimed at improving programme delivery and graduates’ improvement towards self-reliance.

He explained that the training, which was held between 2007-2010, targeted 300 lecturers with a visit to Songhai Centre in Port Novo, Benin Republic.

“It is important to note that nearly seventeen years of implementation of the EDP project in our institutions has made it overdue both in content, approach and delivery.

“The board under Prof Bugaje had rolled out a decisive policy direction aimed primarily to address TVET position in skills delivery which include the review of all aging curricula in all the programmes and especially the EDP,” he said.

Koko added that the review was necessitated because of the time and the need to reinvigorate the spirit of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for all TVET Institutions and its graduates.

He however, said that presently, the focus was widened because the number of Instructors and lecturers targeted was nearly 4000, with the North- Central alone having about 350 by estimate.

Koko, therefore, said the workshop was to bring the lecture’s attention to the new approach to entrepreneurship delivery.

“This is because the review has addressed the content, pedagogy and the practical requirement in terms of skills and trades as well as award and certification of graduates”, he said.

Koko urged the participants to grant the workshop the necessary attention it deserved.

The entrepreneurship workshop was organized in conjunction with Danglo Management and Financial Limited while it was sponsored by TETfund.(NAN)