NBTE leads overhaul of agric curricula to boost skills

The National Board for Technical Education has initiated a process to review and develop an agricultural curriculum to improve skills and productivity.

Oladipupo Bello, NBTE’s director of the curriculum development department, said this at the workshop’s inauguration on Monday in Kaduna. He said the curriculum review aims to strengthen practical skills and align tertiary education with industry demands.

Mr Bello said the workshop was a critical step in repositioning education to drive Nigeria’s economic and technological development through industry-driven and competency-based training.

He highlighted that graduates must demonstrate real competence, adding that curricula would reflect modern industry practices, emerging technologies, and labour-market realities, based on findings from the 2026 skills gap analysis.

Mr Bello underscored the imperative to maintain a 70:30 ratio in favour of practical learning, guiding participants to prioritise hands-on training in the review and development of agricultural programmes.

Mr Bello urged participants to adopt a systematic approach, including reviewing curriculum content, updating course structures, and incorporating recommendations from skill-gap analyses to ensure relevance and competitiveness.

Mr Bello said that attention would be given to course details such as contact hours, credit loads, balancing theory with practical components and introducing new courses to meet evolving industry needs.

According to Mr Bello, curricula will clearly define measurable learning outcomes, teaching strategies, minimum requirements for facilities, equipment, and instructional materials to support effective implementation.

Mr Bello said the final submissions would undergo thorough vetting to ensure compliance with NBTE standards before approval, while resource persons and staff would provide technical and administrative support.

Idris Bugaje, NBTE’s executive secretary of the board, commended ongoing education reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He described the reforms as significant milestones in Nigeria’s education sector.

Mr Bugaje said the initiative, driven by collaboration among the education, agriculture, and livestock ministries, reflects a renewed commitment to revitalising agricultural education as a cornerstone of national development.

He observed that declining interest in agricultural studies was linked to outdated curricula, adding that the ongoing reforms aim to integrate modern technologies and make programmes more attractive to students.

The NBTE boss announced plans to review 430 curricula and develop new ones through multiple parallel workshops.

He restated the need to increase the practical content beyond 70 per cent, particularly in diploma programmes, to ensure graduates possess the hands-on skills required by the industry.

Mr Bugaje also hinted at a major policy shift regarding admissions aimed at boosting enrollment in agricultural programmes and strengthening food security through improved training systems.