The Federal Government is set to overhaul agricultural education in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, with practical training expected to account for 80 per cent of students’ training.
Here are seven things to know about the new approach:
1. Agricultural education will become 80% practical
The new framework will allocate 80 per cent of agricultural training to practical work and 20 per cent to theory.
This is a major shift from the previous model, which had 70 per cent theory and 30 per cent practical training.
2. The reform is designed to make graduates more employable
The government wants to address the gap between what students learn in classrooms and the practical skills required in the agricultural sector.
The aim is for graduates to leave tertiary institutions with skills they can apply directly in the workplace and agricultural economy.
3. 36 ND and HND curricula have been developed or reviewed
According to the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Prof Idris Bugaje, the exercise produced 36 new and reviewed National Diploma and Higher National Diploma curricula.
4. Three NCE curricula are also part of the reform
The review also produced three new or reviewed National Certificate in Education curricula as part of efforts to strengthen agricultural training across different levels of tertiary education.
5. 31 National Occupational Standards have been produced
The exercise also generated 31 National Occupational Standards.
Bugaje said 27 of these standards were developed from scratch, while four existing standards were reviewed.
This brings the total number of new or reviewed training instruments from the exercise to 70.
6. Teachers and schools will need new support
The Federal Government says changing the curriculum alone will not deliver the desired transformation.
Teachers will need to be trained, while tertiary institutions will require appropriate equipment and facilities to deliver the practical-oriented programmes.
The practical training is expected to take place in classrooms, laboratories, farms and other relevant training environments.
7. The bigger goal is to turn agricultural education into an economic opportunity
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the reform is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is aimed at repositioning agriculture as a skills-based pathway.
The government hopes the new approach will help close the agricultural skills gap, improve employment opportunities, increase productivity and produce
graduates capable of contributing directly to Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
As Alausa put it, the shift to 80 per cent practical training is intended to equip young Nigerians with relevant skills while advancing the country’s economic objectives.
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