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  • NBTE accredits cultural academy

    NBTE accredits cultural academy

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has granted approval for the operation of Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS) as a specialised institution to train individuals for innovative studies and the development of Nigeria’s culture and history.

     The specialised academy, which is the nation’s citadel of cultural training, has the approval of the NBTE to run the programme leading to the award of National Diploma in Cultural Administration & Human Resources (NDCAHR) while its Postgraduate Diploma programme is affiliated to the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK).

    Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, said already, the accreditation and affiliation have provided an opportunity for certification of individuals who have obtained the Diploma to proceed for higher education in cultural studies while using the Academy’s Postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Administration to enroll for their Master’s degree.

    A statement by the Media Assistant to Executive Secretary/CEO NICO, Caleb Nor, the executive secretary said with the rebranding and elevation of the institution which was hitherto, known as the Training School of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) to a full-fledged higher institution for cultural education and training, there was a clear indication that the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had come to fully recognise culture and the need for cultural renaissance to take the center stage in its policy making processes.

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    Ajiboye said the development was a pointer to the fact that Nigeria under the present administration had seen the need to embrace “culture at its highest level such that our cultural antecedents, understanding and appreciation will reflect in our overall policy making processes such that the nation will begin to stem the tide of imbalanced national behaviour and character by emphasising and re-enacting our cultural values.”

    He said: “The nation has seen the need to incorporate adequate cultural content in our school curriculum both in the primary, secondary and tertiary education systems. What this means is that once we are able to shed off the foreign cultural antecedents, that we have inadvertently imbibed over the years, we will then begin to realise the importance of our innate cultural essentialities which will confer on us as a people, a great dose of originality, thereby paving way for adequate cultural identity.

    He stressed further that no nation can attain a state of National Identity without cultural Identity.

    “This first specialised institution to teach culture; the Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS) is a bold step and innovation of the Tinubu administration. With the approval of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the consent of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, it is here on note that the government of Nigeria will begin to view culture as an important element in our day to day life.”

  • NBTE to train graduates in environmental health specialities

    NBTE to train graduates in environmental health specialities

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has committed to ensuring that skillful graduates on environmental health specialities are trained from the nation’s higher institutions of learning.

    Already, it is developing Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula on environmental health technology with options in industrial safety and hygiene, and environmental health monitoring and surveillance.

    The curricula development is a collaboration between the NBTE and the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON).

    The two bodies, NBTE and EHCON, on February 5, began the development of curriculum on environmental health specialities in 16 options.

    The specialities were environmental health (eight options), public health (three options), epidemiology and disease control (three options) and water sanitation/hygiene (WASH) (two options).

    During the opening of a seven-day pre-critique workshop on development of the curricula in Kaduna, NBTE’s Director of Curriculum Development Department, Dr. Hatim Koko, said they would develop a new curriculum content.

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    “It has not been done before, what we have on ground is environmental health technology. The wisdom of EHCON brought about some degree of innovations following the focus of the NBTE’s Executive Secretary,” he said.

    Koko explained that the board was unbundling a massive course specific areas that had to do with skills.

    He mentioned some of the  courses which were unbundled to include mass communication, computer science and its related options, and now on environmental health.

    Koko further said the board and EHCON were working on development of curriculum on 16 options which had never been done.

    He, therefore, said the EHCON was widening its horizon in maintaining its specific focus to individuals within its areas of regulation and purview of professional regulation.

    Koko commended the EHCON’s Registrar for the foresight, adding that it would give a sequence in the operations and professional practice of the council.

    He urged all the curriculum development stakeholders to ensure robust interactions that would provide a content that would stand the test of time.

    Declaring the workshop open, the ES of the NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, restated the board’s commitment in ensuring skillful graduates and developed communities and the nation at large.

    Bugaje, represented by his Special Assistant, Prof. Diyauddeen Hassan, said the curricula development was part of the board’s matrix in addressing skills gaps at the national and international level. Also, the Registrar of the EHCON, Dr. Yakubu Baba, said the council had set out to rebrand the environmental health profession to make it in line with that of the 21st century.

    Baba, represented by his deputy, Dr. Isah Adamu, explained that the council wanted to make the environmental health profession to be in the private sector, however being an only government recognised entity.

    “We want to also be in the private sector, so that environmental health professionals who are licensed, will now be able to practise the profession outside public domain.

    “Without skills, one may not be able to practise effectively in the private sector and that is why the skills of graduates of the HND environmental health technology is meant to be upscaled,” he said.

    Baba urged the participants to effectively render their service not only to the environment health profession, but to the service of the country.

    “We cannot grow as a nation until we have a better health outcome, which doesn’t come easily if we don’t take care of the environmental health sphere, which has been the bane of Nigeria’s health outcome.”

  • NBTE wants varsities converted to polytecnics

    NBTE wants varsities converted to polytecnics

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has advocated more funding and conversion of 60 per cent of Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics to bridge the gap in skills deficiency amongst graduates.

    The Executive Secretary (ES) of NBTE, Prof Idris Bugaje, made the call on Monday in Kaduna at the North-West zone national workshop on the reviewed entrepreneurship and skills development curricular for entrepreneurship educators in Nigerian Polytechnics and similar institutions.

    The theme of the workshop was ‘New approach to entrepreneurship curricular delivery’.

    Bugaje, represented by his Special Assistant, Dr Ibrahim Bashir, said, “For every Engineer produced by a university, he requires at least five technologists, 10 technicians and 20 artisans in executing projects.”

    He, therefore, said that the artisans and technologists were products of Polytechnics, which called for a reverse in funding process by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) to pump more funds into polytechnics.

    “As a serious nation and trying to do what is expected, we should be promoting skills and not theories.

    “We should be thinking of chunning out the skillful youth population out of our higher institutions.

    “Our people are always thinking of migrating to Europe and Asia, some through deadly routes. If those people are well skilled with the necessary certification, they will be given red carpet reception wherever they go,”he said.

    Bugaje, therefore, wondered why Nigerians were more passionate about degrees instead of skills.

    He stressed the importance of curriculum, stating that it is the foundation of any good programme that wants to be created.

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    Bugaje said the present curriculum being administered to students in the polytechnics was developed in 2007.

    According to him,.there have been a lot of changes over the years, where the mantra of the NBTE was centred on skills and not degrees.

    Bugaje said that the NBTE’s advocacy on skills was not in any way discouraging acquisition of degrees, but should be complemented by skills.

    “Without skills, one is likely not going to fit into the contemporary competitive world. Skills are now the most important global currency of the world,”he said.

    The executive secretary described the uproar by some actors about the ‘top up degree’ programme by the NBTE as uncalled for and unnecessary/

    Bugaje stated that converting 60 per cent of Nigerian universities into polytechnics was the right thing to do to be seen as serious in the educational sector.

    Earlier, the NBTE’s Director, Curriculum Development Department, Dr Musa Koko, said the workshop was the first in its series and the second since 2007.

    He said that the last efforts in developing the entrepreneurship curriculum, teachers guide and training manual was to kick start the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) in all the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions.

    Koko said the curriculum development was aimed at improving programme delivery and graduates’ improvement towards self-reliance.

    He explained that the training, which was held between 2007-2010, targeted 300 lecturers with a visit to Songhai Centre in Port Novo, Benin Republic.

    “It is important to note that nearly seventeen years of implementation of the EDP project in our institutions has made it overdue both in content, approach and delivery.

    “The board under Prof Bugaje had rolled out a decisive policy direction aimed primarily to

    address TVET position in skills delivery which include the review of all aging curricula in all the

    programmes and especially the EEd,”he said.

    Koko added that the review was necessitated because of the time and the need to reinvigorate the spirit of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for all TVET Institutions and its graduates.

    He however, said that presently, the focus was widened because the number of Instructors and lecturers targeted was nearly 4000, with the North- Central alone having about 350 by estimate.

    Koko, therefore, said the workshop was to bring the lecture’s attention to the new approach to entrepreneurship delivery.

    “This is because the review has addressed the content, pedagogy and the practical requirement in terms of skills and trades as well as award and certification of graduates”,he said.

    Koko urged the participants to grant the workshop the necessary attention it deserved.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the entrepreneurship workshop was organized in conjunction with Danglo Management and Financial Limited while it was sponsored by TETfund.(NAN)

  • NBTE, China in alliance on technical, vocational education

    NBTE, China in alliance on technical, vocational education

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the China-Africa Vocational Education Alliance have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Nigeria.

    In a statement by its Head of Media, Fatimah Abubakar, the NBTE said the collaboration would implement capacity-building projects at various levels and dimensions.

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    She said the collaboration was aimed at reviewing and developing occupational standards, curriculum and training materials to improve TVET programmes.

    The spokesperson also added that the collaboration would strengthen institutional partnerships between China and Nigeria for joint development projects and trainee exchanges.

    The MoU signing was witnessed the Project Coordinator for East and South Africa, China – Africa TVET Alliance, Zhang Yujia; Desk Officer Research and Development NBTE Dr Zakari Abdullahi and Desk Officer Digitalisation NBTE, Aliyu Hassan.

    China – Africa Alliance is a non-profit organisation based in Shandong.

  • NBTE signs MoU with China on technical, vocational education

    NBTE signs MoU with China on technical, vocational education

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the China-Africa Vocational Education Alliance to enhance Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Nigeria.

    The head of media, NBTE Fatimah Abubakar, in a statement said the collaboration would implement capacity-building projects at various levels and dimensions.

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    She said the collaboration was aimed at reviewing and developing occupational standards, curriculum and training materials to improve TVET programmes.

    She also added that the collaboration would strengthen institutional partnerships between China and Nigeria for joint development projects and trainee exchanges.

    Present during the signing of the MoU was the Project Coordinator for East and South Africa, China – Africa TVET Alliance, Zhang Yujia; Desk Officer Research and Development NBTE Dr Zakari Abdullahi and Desk Officer Digitalisation NBTE, Aliyu Hassan.

    China – Africa Alliance is a non-profit organisation based in Shandong

  • HND top-up meant for people who want to pursue academic career, says NBTE

    HND top-up meant for people who want to pursue academic career, says NBTE

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has said the new online top-up programme for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree for one year with foreign accredited universities is meant for HND holders who want to pursue an academic career.

    The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Idris Bugaje said the programme was not for all HND holders but those who have the ambition to further their career in an academic environment such as teaching and research in the Polytechnics or Universities.

    In a statement by the NBTE head of media unit, Fatima Abubakar, the ES said the top-up was an alternative to the Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) offered by Nigerian Universities.

    He said: “In a democracy such as ours, HND holders should be allowed to make a choice between PGD and the Top-up to BSc. The board said the clarification became necessary following the misunderstandings about the programme in a section of the media.

    “The top-up is not bringing an end to HND programs in Polytechnics but rather provides choice to HND holders wanting to go for an academic career. The choice of starting it with Foreign Universities is to show its universal acceptability perchance the Nigerian Universities may eventually buy into it in due course. The cost is reasonable, just about 10 percent of what regular face-to-face students pay.”

    The NBTE said it had come up with the programme to enable interested Polytechnic HND holders to be at par with their counterparts with Bachelor’s degree holders and make it easy for them to go for their Master’s and Doctorate degrees for those interested in pursuing their career in academics.

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    The statement added: “During the unveiling of the program early this month, Prof Bugaje, said the initiative would ease the suffering of HND holders in the country and to keep the hope alive, the NBTE had to find an alternative route, which is for them to do a one-year top up, in conjunction with some foreign universities. Presently there are many Ph.D. holders who academically progressed with HND through the PGD coming back to enroll for BSc (after their Ph.D.) in Nigerian Universities, a very retrogressive step indeed.

    “The HND qualification in itself represents something unique” and this top-up shall be an encouragement for candidates to apply for Polytechnic education since there is a pathway for progression into academics. This will never dilute the essence of technical education but rather enhance it.”

  • Get modern tools, NBTE tells rectors

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has urged polytechnics to acquire modern equipment for teaching and administrative purposes.

    The Director, Polytechnic Programmes, NBTE, Mallam Musa Isgogo, who led 76 resource personnel to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, for accreditation, said modern equipment were necessary for accreditation of courses in polytechnics, to meet global trend.

    A statement by the institution’s spokesman, Alhaji Adewole Soladoye, said the Rector, Prof. Olatunde Fawole, who received the team on behalf of the Governing Council and management, noted that Ibadan polytechnic prepared for the accreditation team in terms of equipment and personnel.

    Isgogo said: “The essence of accreditation and re-accreditation is to ensure quality control of the programmes run by institutions under the supervision of NBTE. Institutions must have modern equipment and facilities to meet NBTE’s requirements for their programmes.

    “Any institution that fails in this respect will be denied accreditation, which is meant to ensure that institutions have modern facilities, such as health centres, accommodation for workers and students, office for administrative and teaching workers, among others.”

    Ibadan Poly presented 23 National Diploma and Higher National Diploma courses for accreditation.

    The courses include: Electrical/Electronics, Mechanical Manufacturing & Power Plant, Civil Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Science, Geological Technology, Statistics, Architectural Technology, Surveying and Geoformatics, Art & Design, Fashion Design & Clothing and Insurance.

    Others are: Statistics, Architectural Technology, Quantity Surveying, Urban and Regional Planning, Purchasing & Supply, Mass Communication, Electrical Electronics, Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Geological Technology.

  • Polytechnics get NBTE’s nod to run distance, e-learning programmes

    POLYTECHNICS and other technical institutions are to start distance and electronic learning (e-learning) programmes soon, the Governing Board of National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has said.

    The NBTE, which is the polytechnics’ regulatory agency, approved the plan at its 81st council meeting in Kaduna.

    The meeting, presided over by the board’s chairman, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, also approved Higher National Diploma (HND) and National Diploma (ND) curriculum for Mechatronic Engineering Technology and Cement Engineering.

    According to the NBTE Executive Secretary, Mas’udu Adamu Kazaure,  the meeting deliberated on a number of issues and took decisions towards the development of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).

    Kazaure told reporters that besides approving the e-learning policy for technical institutions, the board directed the NBTE management to take up the policy to the National Council on Education for its noting and approval.

    He said: “The board took memos from management to its committees and the committees synthesised the memos and transferred the memos to the governing board for subsequent approval.

    “After extensive deliberation, the board has approved an ND curriculum in Cement Engineering Technology and HND curriculum in Mechatronic Engineering Technology for the subsequent implementation by all TVET institutions across the country.

    “Also, the board looked at the accreditation of programmes in various TVET institutions as per the quality assurance requirements stipulated in the board and approved accreditation of programmes in institutions across the country.

    “The board also, through these memos from its committees, has set up a committee to be charged with the responsibility of ranking of polytechnics in the country. These committees will work and bring out its submission to the board during its subsequent meetings.

    “Thirdly, the board also took a memo on e-learning procedure in the TVET sector and approved the e-learning policy of the board. And it subsequently directed the management to take up this policy to the National Council on Education for noting and approval.”

    Kazaure added: “The board also approved the affirmative action for girl-child education in the TVET sector and encouraged its committee on women in technical education to continue its various activities of encouraging the girl-child into technical and vocational education and training.

    “We also requested all TVET institutions staff to take full advantage of the funding opportunities for research as provided for by the National Research Funding offered by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other funding agencies.

    “And finally, the board commended the progress so far made on the National Skills Qualification Framework and encouraged all stakeholders to give maximum support to this programme.”

    On the distance and e-learning programmes, the NBTE chief said: “The programme would be an open and flexible distance learning programme, which would allow students to learn at home.

    “It is going to be a programme whereby students can take lessons from homes and at the same time in the classroom. We call it a blended learning procedure. There will be computer simulation for the technical programmes.”

     

     

  • UTME score no guarantee for admission – Registrar

    UTME score no guarantee for admission – Registrar

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says that only a combination of JAMB cut-off marks, post-UTME, O’ level results and other admission criteria as determined by institutions can ensure candidates’ admission.

    Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB registrar, disclosed this at an intensive Training and Sensitisation Forum on Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) for the 2017/2018 academic session on Thursday in Abuja.
    Oloyede said that scoring higher than the minimum cut-off marks did not guarantee admission but made candidates eligible for admission consideration.
    He added that institutions determined the institutional, programme and course cut-off marks and other admission criteria in exercise of their autonomy.
    According to him, the cut-off mark by JAMB is only a threshold below which no institution can admit candidates.
    “JAMB is not an examination body rather it is a ranking body. If there are enough spaces in the tertiary institutions there may not be need for UTME.
    “ JAMB is a screening body to rank already qualified candidates. It is a coordinating and clearing house.
    “The cut-off mark is not a pass or fail mark. It is not the total score but one of many factors such as post-UTME (where applicable), O’ Level results scoring, e.t.c.,” he explained.
    He added that regulating agencies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), among others could decide the admission quota for institutions.
    He further explained that JAMB introduced CAPS so as to ensure that every UTME candidate got fair treatment.
    Oloyede said with CAPS, candidates now have the choice to either accept or reject admission offer.
    He, however, advised candidates to ensure that they indicate the acceptance or rejection of admission online and timely to enable the processing of onward admission.
    He, therefore, urged institutions to comply with their advertised criteria for admission including the cut-off marks.
    Oloyede also said that Nigeria operated the same system of admission procedure with other countries such as China, Iran, Republic of Georgia, Spain and Turkey.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JAMB in Aug. 22, at the policy meeting by institutions decided to peg the 2017/2018 UTME cut-off marks for degree awarding institutions at 120.
    The meeting also pegged at 100 cut-off marks for admissions for National Diploma (ND) and Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE), among others.

  • Sokoto College seeks NBTE’s nod to open doors

    Provost of the newly-established College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Wurno, Sokoto State, Prof Aminu Abubakar at the weekend said the college is awaiting approval of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for academic activities to commence in full swing.

    The college was among two others established by the immediate past Governor, Aliyu  Wamakko, now Senator representing Sokoto Central Senatorial District.

    Abubakar spoke following an inspection of facilities of the college by members of the Sokoto State Assembly committee on Education led by Hon. Aminu Bala Bodinga.

    The Provost said the government had provided the necessary facilities for immediate take off.

    According to him” in a short while we will get everything fixed in readiness  to receive the team of inspectors from the NBTE for its final approval for takeoff.

    “We have fixed core facilities that will qualify its take off. We are optimistic that NBTE will give us the nod for full academic work to commence in the college”, he said.

    In his remarks, Bodinga who was impressed by the facilities in place, praised the contractor for ensuring quality works.

    “We are impressed by the water, road and general environmental works. They are of standard,” he said.

    The Committee also visited the Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS), Rabah where it inspected ongoing construction work.

    Principal of the school, Hajiya Fatima Magaji, appealed to the committee to assist in ensuring early completion of work so workers and students can move in.

    “They are currently at a temporary site pending the completion of the work and this is affecting the school’s affairs,” she said.