Reviewed Agric Curriculum Will Equip Youths With Relevant Skills -Alausa

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has said the newly reviewed agricultural education curriculum will equip Nigerian youths with relevant skills to thrive in the agricultural sector and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economic development.

Alausa stated this yesterday when he received the committee’s report on the implementation of the reviewed agriculture curricula for polytechnics and colleges of education.

He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was committed to advancing agriculture as a skills-based sector through the development of national occupational standards and practical-oriented training for Nigerian youths.

In a press statement by his special adviser (Media and Communications), Ikharo Attah, Alausa commended the committee for its dedication and extensive work.

He said the shift to 80 per cent practical training was a major step towards equipping Nigerian youths with relevant skills and advancing the economic objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Minister said the revised approach represents a significant departure from the previous 70 per cent theoretical and 30 per cent practical model.

According to him, the new structure, with 80 per cent practical training and 20 per cent theory, is designed to provide learners with the hands-on experience required to participate effectively in the agricultural sector.

He also called for a comprehensive rollout of the new curricula, stressing the need for effective sensitisation of industry players, academics, teachers and other stakeholders on the rationale for the reforms.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, commended the Committee for its commitment and acknowledged the contributions of the National Board for Technical Education, the Skills Council, industry representatives, and academics to the review.

She said the collaboration had strengthened the process and enriched the development of the new curricula.

Professor Ahmad expressed optimism that the reviewed curricula would deliver visible results in the agricultural sector.

Presenting the report on behalf of the Committee, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje, disclosed that the exercise produced 36 new and reviewed ND and HND curricula, three NCE curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards.

He said 27 of the standards were developed from scratch, while four existing standards were reviewed, significantly expanding the framework for skills training in agriculture.

Professor Bugaje said the assignment had been completed and that the resulting documents had been reviewed and approved by the relevant regulatory bodies, including the Board and the Commission.

He added that the complete set of curricula would be formally presented at a later public event, describing the outcome as a major boost to agricultural skills development.