Nigerian lecturers still teaching with outdated curriculum- Ex NREDC Boss

Former executive secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC)  Prof. Godswill Obioma, has said that Nigerian graduates lacks the prerequisite skills for the twenty-first century global market due to the nations outdated educational curriculum.

Obioma who is the present INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ebonyi state stated this at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in a keynote address titled “Higher Education, Graduate Employability and Curriculum Change in Nigeria”  during the first conference of  the International Association of Economics Educators (IAEE).

He said it was unfortunate that lecturers in tertiary institutions were still teaching students with knowledge of what was used in getting employments in 1960s and 1970s without talking into cognizance evolution of science and technology.

“Majority of our graduates today are unemployable because their teachers are still recycling and imparting in them the same knowledge used in getting job in 1960s and 1970s.

“These teachers have not taken into consideration that science, technology and ICT have revolutionized ways of doing things from analogue of 1960 to digital of 21st century that made the world a global village,” he said.

Obioma also said that to make Nigerian graduates employable globally there is an urgent need to review the nations educational curriculum by tailoring it towards skills acquisition and self-reliant.

“The present curriculum is defective because it makes graduates job seekers instead of job creators.

“The review of the tertiary institutions curriculum will not only make our graduates employable global but also make them job providers instead of job seekers.

“Government should as matter of urgency review the curriculum of tertiary institutions in the country in order to move the education sector to the next,” he said.

The Ebonyi state INEC-REC decried shortage of infrastructures in tertiary institutions which he said had also contributed in poor teaching and learning.

“Science, technology and ICT thrive with adequate infrastructure. With adequate infrastructure and equipment students will put into practice what they are taught in class,’ he said.

In a remark the Vice-Chancellor of University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof Benjamin Ozumba who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Prof Charles Igwe, commended the organizers of the conference and urged them to develop economic module that would help to solve economic problems in the country.

“Most times our problem in this country is that we copy modules used in US, Britain China and other developed countries without looking inward on how to develop a module that we solve the problems of our people locally.

“Tertiary institutions should be a place of buying and selling of intellectualism as well as using researches to find solutions to people’s problems,” he said.

Speaking, Dr Joseph Onuoha, the president of the association said education economics was vital for the future of any country’s economy as it geared towards enhancing economics literacy among learners at all education level.

“As field of study education economics lays emphasis on teaching and learning of education economics.

“It involves the proper use of appropriate teaching methods in enhancing the understanding of economics as a concept and facilitates in order to make people to contribute meaningfully to the economy.

“Education economics as a discipline help to promote economic literacy via development and implementation of education curriculum as well as training teachers and students,” he said.

Onuoha expressed gratitude to UNN vice-chancellor for granting the association the permission to hold the first conference in the university as well as approving other requests for successful holding of the 4-day conference.

The President listed some of the objectives of the association to include: providing leadership role in the learning teaching of education economics, promoting education economics, developing manpower needs of members in teaching of economics.