…Says Its Cause Of High Unemployment Among Youth
ADO-EKITI- A University Don, Professor Joshua Ogunwole has called for an urgent review of curriculums in the Nigerian Universities to be in tune with modern realities.
Ogunwole, Vice Chancellor, BOWEN University, Iwo, State of Osun, regretted that the Nigerian system still retains what he described as “primitive template” which relegate Africa and Africans, bequeathed to it by the Colonial Masters.
Delivering a lecture entitled “Issues and Challenges in University Governance in Nigeria” at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Professor Ogunwole linked the menace of youth unemployment to the faulty curriculums in operation which he noted “cannot prepare the students for the challenges of tomorrow’s workplace.”
Earlier in his remark, the Vice Chancellor of EKSU, Professor Edward Olanipekun described the retiring Professor Kolawole as an uncommon academic giant with huge talents.
According to him, Kolawole’s tenure as Vice Chancellor brought about significant academic excellence and infrastructural development to the university.
The lecture was organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences in honour of one of their own and former Vice Chancellor, of University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD now EKSU) Professor Dipo Kolawole who was retiring.
Speaking further Ogunwole said, “another reason for students’ flight from the Nigerian Universities to Universities abroad is the fact that curriculums of Nigerian Universities are conservative and cannot prepare the students for the challenges of tomorrow’s workplace. Our curriculums are based on the template left by our Colonial Masters. A curriculum that relegate Africa and Africans.
“Or how else can one describe a curriculum that taught us in our early days that the discoverer of River Niger is Mango Park ?As if Mr Park was the one who built his canoe or about himself and paddled through the Niger River and the locals.”
The Professor of Soil Science also advocated an all inclusive process of appointing Vice Chancellors in the Nigerian Universities.
The university Don also charged government to brace up for the emerging challenges of youths population in Nigeria who are seeking tertiary education.
The BOWEN VC described as grossly inadequate ,the current number of universities in Nigeria ,calling for increase in the number and expansion of the existing education facilities.
Professor Ogunwole underscored the importance of the inputs of Parents, Alumni as well as students body in making appropriate recommendations on the candidate during selection process.
“However, I wish to kindly make one recommendation as it has strong bearing on government .And this has to do with recruitment of Vice Chancellors in all Nigerian Universities.”
“I wish to canvas for full involvement of relevant stakeholders namely, The Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee .Parents/sponsors of students Alumni and Students ,Of the four only the selection committee should scorecard.The other three are to interact and make appropriate recommendations on the candidate”, he said.
Adding “at the end of the day, factoring the knowledge of the university ‘s vision ,mission and core values the relevant stakeholders are sure to arrive at a decision in the best interest of the university as against the mere choice of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee.”
Professor Ogunwole who commended government for establishing more universities and licensing privately owned, however said the challenges are still enormous.
“On the surface mit appears that Nigeria is experiencing a paradigm shift in the university education. This is evident in the number of licensed universities in Nigeria riding to 170 (Federal 43 State 48 and Private 79).This is a significant departure from the past when we could count the number of tertiary institutions in the country on our fingers.