The Federal Government has announced a major overhaul of agricultural education in Nigeria’s polytechnics and colleges of education, with practical training set to account for 80 per cent of the curriculum, while theory will be reduced to 20 per cent.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the reform as part of efforts to equip students with practical skills required to thrive in agriculture, agro processing and agribusiness.
Under the new curriculum, agricultural education will move away from a predominantly classroom based approach to a more field based and hands on model, enabling students to apply acquired skills while undergoing training.
The reform will cover key areas across the agricultural value chain, including crop and livestock production, processing and agribusiness.
The Federal Government will also introduce new national occupational standards to ensure that graduates acquire skills that are relevant to labour market demands and industry requirements.
According to the government, the initiative is designed to produce graduates capable of creating businesses and employment opportunities rather than relying solely on white collar jobs.
The reform is also aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the administration’s drive to reposition agriculture as a skills driven sector capable of creating jobs, increasing food production and expanding economic opportunities for young Nigerians.
The Federal Government expects the practical focused approach to contribute to reducing youth unemployment while increasing participation in food production and other segments of the agricultural value chain.
The new direction represents a significant departure from the previous model, which placed greater emphasis on theoretical learning, and is intended to make agricultural education more responsive to Nigeria’s economic and employment needs.
