The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ikeja Branch has called for the inclusion of technical skills acquisition and vocational studies in Nigeria’s educational curriculum towards the development of the nation’s underperforming manufacturing sector.
MAN also identified the need for the National Universities Commission (NUC) to consider enhancing technical certificates to have equal impetus with degree certificates in order to find lasting solution to the impediments of manpower supply to the survival of the manufacturing sector.
Speaking at the 52 annual general meeting of MAN Ikeja Branch held in Lagos on Thursday, with the theme, “Restructuring the Nation’s Educational Curriculum: An Important Contributory Factor to the Manufacturing Sector Growth,” Francis Meshioye, chairman of the branch, called on the Lagos State Government to reawaken technical and vocational institutes in the states, by making vibrant, the Lagos State Training and Vocational Agency.
According to him, while China has given considerable attention to its industrial development by revising its national educational curriculum and enhancing teachers training programmes, Nigeria has continued to trivialise technical and vocational education.
“The China’s 211 project and 985 projects initiatives designed to raise standards and cultivate people with talents, were efforts put in place to modernised China education system. By 2015, approximately 38 percent of students in upper-secondary schools were enrolled in vocational education,” Meshioye said.
Meshioye said the high discrepancy between degree and technical certificates has also led to the loss of interest among Nigerian youths from enrolling in technical and vocational studies.
Delivering his keynote address, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, described the theme of the meeting as a wakeup call by MAN to the government, towards ensuring that Nigeria’s manufacturing capacity is increased through the engagement of qualitative, innovative and efficient workforce.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Omobolanle Ogunmola, permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, said Nigeria’s industrial revitalisation through qualitative education can be easily achieved if the country embrace global best practices from shared experiences from other countries.
He said Nigeria can benefit from studying and adapting lessons from success stories of industrialised European nations, and even the fast developing Asian tigers like China.
“In Lagos State, we understand the importance of education to industry development, hence, my administration has placed a premium on technology and education to ensure skill development and resource optimising through continuous vocational and technical studies.
He assured that his government will put more efforts in promoting research and development by focusing on the development of the numerous technical colleges in Lagos, and opening its doors to more opportunities for sustainable industry-government-academia collaboration.
Olawale Ajai, a professor from Political, Social and Legal Environment of Business, Lagos Business School (LBS), who was the guest lecturer, said there is crisis in global learning environment, which goes to show that children generally especially in sub-Saharan region, are not learning.
Ajai, who pointed out the need for Nigeria to review its educational curriculum, said educational curriculum is still not the worse problem of the nation’s education system. He added that Nigeria’s education system requires more funding of the existing Science, Technology and Engineering schools in the country.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
