FG moves to make agriculture 80% practical in polytechnics, colleges
By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to overhaul agricultural education in the nation’s polytechnics and colleges of education, with practical training now accounting for 80 per cent of the curriculum.
The initiative is aimed at equipping Nigerian youths with practical skills to become job creators and agricultural entrepreneurs.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the report of the committee responsible for implementing the reviewed agriculture curricula for polytechnics and colleges of education.
Alausa said the reform was part of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to reposition agriculture from a predominantly theoretical field of study into a skills-based sector capable of generating employment, increasing productivity and creating new economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
He described the shift from the previous 70 per cent theoretical and 30 per cent practical model to 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theoretical training as a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s skills development agenda.
According to him, the reviewed curriculum would ensure that students graduate not only with certificates but also with practical competencies that could be deployed immediately in farming, agro-processing, agribusiness 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,” Alausa said.
He said the reform was designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and labour market realities, stressing that agriculture should increasingly be regarded as a productive, skills-based industry rather than merely an academic discipline.
The minister said the reviewed curricula, together with the development of national occupational standards, would provide Nigerian youths with the technical competencies required to participate meaningfully in the agricultural economy and contribute to national development.
Alausa, however, cautioned that the success of the reform would depend largely on effective implementation.
He therefore called for comprehensive sensitisation of industry players, academics, teachers and other stakeholders to ensure that the objectives of the reforms were properly understood and supported.
He also stressed the need for adequate training of teachers and the provision of appropriate facilities and institutional support to enable polytechnics and colleges of education effectively deliver the practical-oriented curriculum.
Committee produces 36 ND, HND curricula
Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, commended members of the committee for their commitment and extensive work.
She said the review benefited from collaboration among the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the Skills Council, industry representatives and academics.
According to her, the broad-based collaboration strengthened the process and ensured that the reviewed curricula were aligned with the realities and skills requirements of the agricultural sector.
Ahmad expressed optimism that the new curricula would improve agricultural productivity and skills development, while urging stakeholders and the public to support their implementation.
She also emphasised the need to educate the public on the increased practical component of the curricula, saying greater understanding of the reform would facilitate its successful implementation.
Presenting the report, Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaje, disclosed that the exercise produced 36 new and reviewed National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula, three National Certificate in Education (NCE) curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards (NOS).
He said 27 of the occupational standards were developed from scratch, while four existing standards were reviewed, thereby expanding the national framework for agricultural skills development.
Bugaje said the assignment had been completed and the resulting documents considered and approved by the relevant regulatory bodies.
He added that the complete set of reviewed curricula would be formally unveiled at a later public event, describing the outcome as a major boost to the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen agricultural skills development.
Alausa assured that the ministry would continue to work with NBTE, educational institutions, industry and other stakeholders to ensure that the reviewed curricula moved beyond policy documents to effective implementation in classrooms and training centres across the country.
He said the Federal Government’s focus remained on equipping Nigerian youths with practical, market-relevant skills, strengthening the agricultural workforce and transforming the country’s agricultural potential into productive economic opportunities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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