The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has called for a major shift towards practical-based agricultural education in polytechnics and colleges of education, proposing that 80 per cent of agriculture training should focus on hands-on learning, while 20 per cent should be devoted to theory.
Alausa made the call on Thursday in Abuja while receiving the report of a committee responsible for implementing reviewed agriculture curricula for the institutions.
He said the proposed model would replace the previous structure, which allocated 70 per cent to theoretical instruction and 30 per cent to practical training, describing the new approach as necessary to equip young Nigerians with relevant skills for the modern agricultural sector.
The minister expressed concern that many institutions offering agricultural programmes lacked demonstration farms, while the content of their existing curricula was outdated and insufficiently focused on practical skills.
According to him, the shortcomings of the previous system contributed to the emergence of graduates who were not adequately trained or equipped to contribute effectively to food production and national agricultural development.
Alausa said the curriculum review was undertaken to make agricultural education more competency-based, skill-directed and responsive to current industry needs.
He identified the previous theory-heavy curriculum, outdated course content and inadequate skills-oriented training as major factors responsible for the poor preparedness of some graduates.
The minister expressed confidence that the revised curricula would produce a more competent agricultural workforce, strengthen the sector’s human resource base and enable graduates to transform their training into productive ventures.
He called for the effective implementation of the revised curricula across relevant institutions and urged industry operators, academics, teachers and other stakeholders to support the reforms.
Alausa also stressed the need for adequate sensitisation and retraining of teachers, as well as the provision of necessary facilities and other resources required for effective delivery of the new programmes.
The minister said the reform aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda, noting that the Federal Government’s investments in agricultural inputs, tractors, seedlings and improved security were helping to encourage farmers to return to their farms.
He, however, noted that subsistence farming still accounts for about 80 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural output, while mechanised farming contributes only about 20 per cent, stressing the need to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving agricultural mechanisation and productivity.
Alausa assured that the Federal Ministry of Education would collaborate with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), tertiary institutions, industry stakeholders and other relevant partners to ensure the successful implementation of the reviewed curricula.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, commended the committee for its work and acknowledged the contributions of the NBTE, skills councils, industry representatives and academics to the curriculum review process.
Ahmad also called for broader stakeholder engagement and public sensitisation to build understanding and support for the reforms.
Presenting the committee’s report, the Executive Secretary of the NBTE, Idris Bugaje, disclosed that the exercise produced and reviewed 36 National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula, three National Certificate in Education (NCE) curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards.
He said 27 of the occupational standards were newly developed, while four existing standards were reviewed.
Bugaje added that the assignment had been concluded, with the resulting documents reviewed and approved by the relevant regulatory authorities.
He disclosed that the complete set of the reviewed curricula would be formally unveiled at a later public event.
