Statistics has shown that majority of Nigerian universities are still stocked with curriculum not driven by entrepreneurship. Rather, they centre on producing graduates that find it difficult to compete globally in the knowledge economy.
A cursory look at Nigerian education system today no doubt reveals a most worrying dimension in the process of knowledge impartation as most tertiary institutions award certificates to students who are ill-equipped to perform optimally when faced with the harsh realities of life.
Unlike most developed nations that make huge budget allocations to their education sectors, Successive government in Africa largest economy have consistently and consciously denied this pivotal sector the needed funds required to groom globally competitive human capital.
Those who know in the education space opine that entrepreneurial training is essential now more than ever before, if the intellectual and creative capacities of students must be given a boost.
Moreover, they add that professionals with industry experience should form the bulk of lecturers that take some practical-oriented courses in tertiary institutions.
Alero Ayida-Otobo, chief executive officer, Incubator Africa, a development agency that focuses on education and other key sectors said the quality of the teachers, the quality of the learning experience in colleges of education in the country is poor, adding that “we need a complete revolutionary change and turnaround in the way our teachers are taught.”
“Unless we transform our colleges of education, we are going to have a pipe line that is bringing out defective products (teachers) and hope they will perform in a wonderful way when they get to the classroom. What the government should do is to fix the source which is the colleges of education. It has to be a two prone approach,” she said.
In her words, “I will say that educating and developing our teachers is the key to the transformation of our school, it is a critical key to unlock the transformation of our schools.”
Ayida-Otobo further suggested that rebranding teachers and making the teaching profession more attractive through proper remuneration and competitiveness will spur them to perform at their best.
Aderinkomi Akinsola an education resource person notes that it is sad that the policies establishing most tertiary institutions do not provide for entrepreneurial education. This anomaly, he insists, can only be corrected if policymakers formulate procedures that incorporate entrepreneurial education into the school curriculum, beginning from primary school.
Akinsola insist that government should pay more attention to education. It should be interested in what is taught in school by ensuring that the content of education is changed to meet present realities. Only then can our graduates and students across all levels of education derive the all-important benefits of education.
For Harrison Nwanyanwu, an educationist, Universities’ curriculums today focus only on the theoretical aspect of education. They fail to address the current issues that will meet the global needs of students in the international market.
While proffering suggestions on the way forward, Nwanyanwu states that an entrepreneurial angle should be employed in institutions of higher learning, where seasoned resource persons can share experiences and not necessarily teach: which will in turn strengthen the global outlook of the students.
“If Nigeria is to experience growth, there should be efforts by government and various agencies to improve the standard of education vis- a-vis curriculums,” he advises”, Nwanyanwu said.
KELECHI EWUZIE
