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Vocational Education And A Distressed Economy
The foundation of economic growth globally is technical/vocational education. Technical education is cardinal to the socio/economic development of any nation. Following this fact, stakeholders have emphasized the need to establish more well equipped technical schools in the country to boost development.
It was in realization of this importance that the federal government established the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in January 1977 in response to the acute shortage of technical manpower which was a major constraint towards the execution of the then 1975 – 1980 Third National Development Plan on Education.
The NBTE is saddled with overseeing the training of, and accreditation of academic programmes in all technical and vocational educational institutions. These institutions are to train middle-level technical manpower, and provide practical training.
Technical education is offered in institutions that are higher education in level, but non-university in status. Polytechnics, monotechnics (single discipline training), technical colleges, colleges of education, agriculture and health technology all provide higher technical education and training.
With the exception of colleges of education, which is overseen by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), the rest of the technical higher institutions are coordinated by the NBTE.
As at October 2012, there were 110 approved tertiary technical institutions and 159 technical colleges under the purview of the NBTE, 74 polytechnics and 27 monotechnic colleges.
Others include, 36 colleges of agriculture, 50 colleges of health technology, 16 other specialised institutions, 71 vocational enterprise institutions (VEIs) and innovative enterprise institutions (IEIs), making a total of 543 institutions.
Analysts say this number is grossly inadequate given the unprecedented level of demand for technical education in the country. These institutions can only accommodate a fraction of the youths seeking admission because of inadequate space.
Records from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) indicated that out of 5.4 million applicants for admission into polytechnics between 2006 and 2012, only 1.2 million of them could gain admission, representing 21.5 percent.
Clearly, the inadequate number of vocational institutions has led to the arbitrary abuse of Carrying Capacity of Nigeria Tertiary Institutions. Carrying Capacity of institutions refers to the maximum number of students an institution can sustain for quality education based on human and material resources.
In other words, Carrying Capacity stipulates that the number of students to be admitted into programmes must be based on available facilities such as adequate lecture rooms, well equipped libraries, staff/student ratio, laboratories and equipment, among others.
But it has been observed that many technical institutions don’t comply with the rules. They indulge in borrowing lecturers and staff as well as facilities from other institutions to conceal their defects. Some stakeholders have frowned at the practice and describe it as improper.
An educationist and former principal, Mr. Ignatius Lawson, says such practice is immoral and fraudulent which ought to take the offenders to prison. According to him, schools should adhere to international best practice or be shut.
“International best practice provides for 30 students per class in technical and vocational and 40 for management-based programmes, but some institutions advocate 70, others even more than 100.
“Best practice also pegs staff/student ratio at 1:15 for technology-based programmes and 1:20 for non-technology based. This policy is aimed at ensuring quality of instruction and schools must not exceed their capacity or compromise minimum standard, “ said Lawson.
Similarly, a Port Harcourt-based lecturer, who chose to be anonymous, blamed the deficit in institutions and learning infrastructure in the country on poor funding and lack of attention to technical education.
She said infrastructure such as access to internet, library, textbooks, equipment, laboratories and classrooms are lacking and therefore result in the deterioration of technical education and learning.
“Technical and vocational education is all about skill acquisition and competence-based. Facilities that will enhance skill acquisition are important to the teaching and learning process in technical and vocational education.
“Unfortunately, these facilities like workshops, laboratories, studies and field facilities are lacking for the various programmes in conformity with the minimum standards prescribed in the curriculum,” she said.
Sharing similar sentiments, a legal practitioner, Mr. Biobele Fyneface, asked the government to expand access to technical and vocational education in line with equity and international best practice.
He added that although at this critical moment, the country required more technically skilled manpower in the economy, students’ enrollment into technically-related programmes cannot be increased arbitrarily without corresponding increase in the resources required to sustain the additional intakes.
A nursery/primary school proprietress, Mrs Elem Ochonma, observed that some important factors must be considered in determining the capacity for an academic programme without compromising quality.
According to her, the factors include the target population of prospective students to be trained, the human and material resources available for training and the technology and methodology to be deployed in carrying out the training.
She posited the need for quality assurance mechanism to ensure quality teaching and said the federal government should initiate steps that would enhance the standards of technical and vocational education in the country.
A civil servant in the Rivers State Ministry of Works, who asked to remain anonymous, said the number of technical schools in the country was inadequate and asked the government to establish more functional ones to boost access to skill acquisition. He said if technical institutions in the country were many, only few persons would like to go to the universities.
“I think we have a situation in this country where we focus too much on the liberal arts and sciences. Everyone goes to the university and then have no job on graduation. We need a skilled technical labour force in every state; almost as many technical colleges as the universities we have.
“You go to restaurants and hotels, and you don’t get good services because people don’t learn it. This is because we don’t have enough vocational institutions where people get proper training. If there were as many technical and vocational institutions as there were universities in the country, not everyone would like to go to the university.
“Therefore, there is need to elevate the standard of technical and vocational education so that the people can tap from the gains that accrue from it. This way we will reduce congestion in the universities and strengthen the service aspect of our industry,” he concluded.
In all, stakeholders believe that enterprise development, acquired through vocational education, is essential for job creation and poverty reduction.
Arnold Alalibo
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.
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