By Funmilayo Adeyemi
Abuja – Some players in education sector have called for production-centred curriculum in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions to ensure hands-on education geared toward reducing unemployment among Nigerian youths.
They made the call at the commemoration of Global Day of Action on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) organised by Connected Development, an education NGO in Abuja on Tuesday.
The experts said that many Nigerian graduates were not adequately exposed to the practical aspects of their courses during their undergraduate days, adding that teaching and learning in an abstract manner was the bane of the educational system.
Dr Ayoola Arowolo, Lead Partner, Data Lead Africa, said Nigerian schools’ curricula were designed to make learners to consume finished products rather than developing their productive capacities.
“I studied automobile in my first, second and third degree, but I must tell you that I was only taught abstract at the university level because the practical courses were not shown to us and this is really affected our knowledge.
“Our schools are designed to consume already produced products, the curriculum used in teaching is only centred on what has already being produced.
“We need to change the conservation and focus our education on curriculum that is production centred and not just consumption.”
Arowolo emphasised the need for the private sector to invest in the content of the schools to solve unemployment among Nigerian youths after graduation.
He stressed that the country must begin to look beyond creating availability of schools but focus more on developing the content.
“Every economy is resting on the private sector through policy and in achieving the SDGs, as the private sector has a substantial role to play in terms of support and service rendered in improving the educational sector.
An ICT specialist, Mr Tony Jokeapart, said that attainment of Goal 4 of the SDGs on quality education would be a function of other goals.
He said that education would always banish poverty, stressing the need to effectively address Goal 4 on quality education.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders to redefine education to mean something different from academics.
Jokeapart stressed that education should inform and expand knowledge to cover other areas of endeavours thereby making the society better than what it was presently.
The ICT expert also called for the development of intellectual infrastructure as this was the only thing that could help eradicate corruption in the country.
Mr Kayode Ogunleye, an SDGs Ambassador said that attainment of the SDGs by 2030 should be through collaborative effort between the public and private sectors.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Sept. 25, 2015, global leaders adopted a set of SDGs to bring governments, civil society and enterprises together to achieve 17 goals.
The goals are aimed at eradicating poverty, ensuring peace and prosperity for all and protecting the earth planet by 2030.
(NAN)
