By Kayode Olabanji, Okitipupa

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The Vice Chancellor of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) Okitipupa, Prof. Temi Ologunorisa, has stressed the need to restructure the education sector in Nigeria.

While speaking with journalists in Okitipupa, the VC advocated autonomy for public universities, an overhaul of secondary and tertiary curricula and prioritising practical engagements over theory.

He said, “we also need drastic effort to save our education from collapsing; the sector needs total restructuring.

“Government needs to review the decision to cancel Polytechnic education, which is supposed to train the critical middle-skilled-level manpower required to drive our economy.

“We need to review the current British education system we operate; the system tends to place too much emphasis on paper qualifications.

“The new direction in the world now is that it is not enough to be a graduate. A graduate needs to be certificated in certain skilled or professional areas to access the job market effectively.

“Our graduates should focus their attention on the 21st-century skills required for today’s market and, more importantly, the market of tomorrow, ” he said.

Ologunorisa recommended that courses such as Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, Robotic Engineering, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Digital Marketing, Renewable Energy, Remote Sensing, Geographical Information Science/Space Science and Forensic Science, among others, are those that hold the key to current and future jobs.

He lamented that Nigerian tertiary institutions are yet to live up to their purpose for creation, which is to solve problems for human and national development.

“We have universities of Agriculture, yet we have food crises and shortages; we have Universities of Technology, and yet we have serious energy crises.

“The major problem with our universities of agriculture and technology is that there is a low application of science and technology in solving our societal problems, including the challenges of extreme weather/climate change (floods, droughts, desertification, coastal and soil erosion), food insecurity, terrorism, banditry, Covid-19, Ebola, cancer, diabetes, water crisis, waste management, pollution control, resource governance and corruption.

“Also, the curriculum at secondary school needs complete overhauling. Our education needs to be more theoretical and skill driven. Our secondary and tertiary schools do alternative to practical in most cases.

“Our universities, like their counterparts in the United States, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, should be allowed to conduct their affairs.

“Each university should have autonomy in terms of freedom to admit its students without going through JAMB, charge appropriate tuition fees, receive grants from the government, determine the salary of its professors and other support staff, and determine its internal governance without government interference,” he stated.