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By Olatunde Ajayi
The Vice-Chancellor (VC), American Open University Nigeria, Dr Seyi Akanbi, says Nigeria’s education system is thriving but requires an urgent shift from certificate to competency.
He spoke on Thursday in Ibadan at a discourse on Nigeria’s education system, organised by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Tribune Chapel.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event is themed: “Bridging Nigeria’s Education Gap: How Technology and Online Learning Are Transforming Higher Education”.
Akanbi said the country does not have a degree scarcity problem but suffers from degree inflation, with too many degrees chasing few jobs.
This, according to him, explains why a master’s degree holder is still teaching in a primary school in Nigeria.
The don called for focus on what people can do, not just their degrees, and for more practical, less theoretical courses.
He added that assessments should test what graduates can do on the job and not their ability to regurgitate classroom notes.
The VC called for leveraging technology, not only for access but to build competencies and expose students to industry realities.
He said graduates should leave university not only with certificates but future-ready and able to deliver on tasks from day one.
On university identity, he noted that Nigeria has very few specialised institutions as most universities cannot articulate the specific industry they focus on.
He suggested that universities should specialise in particular sectors of the economy, thus ensuring that their programmes produce graduates who solve problems in those industries.
According to him, that would be better than the generalised approach that produces graduates who all chase banking jobs.
Akanbi said the current university system, designed for grandfathers to train people for 9-to-5 jobs, was inherited.
He said that since the world of work has changed, the system must be reimagined to fit the future of work.
The system, he said, must now produce graduates who create opportunities and not just seek jobs.
Earlier, the chairperson of NUJ Tribune Chapel, Mrs Bunmi Ishola, said the discourse, the third this year, aimed at bringing societal issues to people’s doorsteps.
Ishola said the theme was chosen to examine how to blend online learning and technological advancement for students’ benefit.
“The reality before us is clear. While the demand for higher education continues to grow, access remains a major challenge.
“Many young Nigerians are still unable to secure places in conventional institutions, while distance, cost, inadequate infrastructure and other barriers keep education beyond the reach of many.
“Technology offers us a new possibility. With online learning and digital education, the classroom is no longer necessarily confined by four walls.
“A student in a rural community can potentially access a lecturer, course or institution hundreds of kilometres away.
“But we must ask: Are we truly prepared to make this opportunity accessible to every Nigerian?” She asked. (NAN)
Edited by Moses Solanke
English (US) ·