NAPS Call for Govt/Private Sector to Investment more in Education in Nigeria

NAPS GLOBAL PRESIDENT

Nigeria student leader under aegis of the National association of polytechnic students, has called on government and private sector to invest more in Education stressing that there's a need to set up task force on higher education under the Ministry of Education, Natonal Board For Technical Education among others.

Covid 19 will leave no sector in Nigeria unaffected, and its Consequences will be felt for years to come, at a time when huge efforts were being deployed to transform and improve higher education in Nigeria, there is a danger that Covid 19 will destabilize the Sector, with serious Consequences.

Critical Observation

Nigeria had no choice but close her higher Institutions as part of her lockdown measures to Contain the spread of the Virus, and higher Institutions had no option but to have recourse to the use of Information Technology (ICT) to deliver their programmes online at a distance to their enrolled Students, but the process has laid bare a digital divide within the country, between those Institutions that have better ICT infrastructure than others, between Institutions within the same region , with some being far better equipped and Experienced than others, and between students within the same Institution - the rich who live in urban areas and the poor who live in rural areas who can barely afford to access the Internet, when and if it is available.

Its true that the Crisis has provided and opportunity to tertiary Institutions to quickly improve and maximize their ICT operations.

However, the majority of them do not have the capacity to fully deliver whole programme online, its few Schools in Nigeria that have that Capacity , but their targets are mostly mature Students.

It is a fallacy to believe that online learning can be effective by merely posting a lecturers note online or having a vedio recording of the lecture, Yet this is what is generally happening at Present.

The most affected programmes will be science and Technology as Students will be unable to Access laboratories for their practical . science and Technology programmes are the ones that are most important for Nigeria Development.

Hence there is need for Investment and serious concern from both Government and Private Sector into Educational in Nigeria.

There is Critical need in Education sector , especially in the area of Online Learning, the Approach must be holistic and involve all Stakeholders, including private sector and Government, there is need to set up a task force on higher Education under the Ministry of Education, NBTE, etc