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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigerian Association of Technologist in Engineering (NATE) has advocated total overhaul of academic curricular being used in technical colleges across Nigeria, so that in the process, additions and subtractions can be made in the content in line with 21st century developments.
It also suggested primary schools’ curriculum should also be reviewed to reflect much creativity to catch the younger ones in terms of skills and technology acquisition.
NATE said it had observed the present curriculum of technical schools is obsolete because it’s theoretically based but practically weak, hence, it’s inadequate to address the current trends of technological development in Nigeria.
Its President, Dominic Udoatan, told newsmen at a press conference in Abuja that there was an urgent need for the government to encourage the technical schools by adequately equipping and funding them in all the states of the federation.
“This is because, for any meaningful development, such as industrialisation to take place, there should be a compelling motivation for direct enhancing development through adoption and stimulation of appropriate technology.
“The capacity of engineering technologists as well as technical skills men and women should be strengthened, and this can be done by establishing and adequately equipping skills acquisition centres for training and retraining of youths, which is also a prerequisite for the development of local technology,” he said.
He said NATE was ready and willing to partner the Federal Government to pilot the implementation of necessary programmes and policies designed to expand technological development and skills in Nigeria.
The NATE president, however, amplified the call for the establishment of the National Polytechnic Commission to properly monitor all technology-based programmes.
