Specialist advocates review of Nigeria’s academic curriculum
Specialist advocates review of Nigeria’s academic curriculum
From Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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An Australian-based Health Specialist, Victor Banji-Oke has advocated urgent review of Nigeria’s academic curriculum in order to tackle the menace of unemployment amongst her teeming youths .
Banji-Oke, Founder and Chairman of a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) Ekiti Titun Initiative (ETI) also attributed the spate of joblessness in the country to near irrelevant careers being pursued in Nigeria universities and other higher institutions of learning.
Speaking at the sideline of a novelty football match organized for youths in Oye-Ekiti, headquarters of Oye local government, the Health Specialist stressed that Nigeria as a nation must move on with the tide and ensure that courses being offered in the tertiary institutions are in tune with the reality .
The foreign based professional hinted that his organization is poised to offer interventions in the areas of Counselling, Mentorship and Entrepreneurship.
“The main agenda of our organization is to redirect the energies of Ekiti youths towards productive ventures”
“Many of our youths spend four to five years in the university, studying courses that cannot add value to their lives .I thinkwe must wake up to this reality as a nation .The reason other countries left us behind is because we do our things in the same old way and we are expecting a better results .No it cannot work,” Banji-Oke lamented
According to him, it is high time government ensured that old courses are combined either with business or Information and Communication Technology(ICT).
He disclosed that the new curriculum model had assisted the Australian Government in reducing unemployment
The health specialist hinted that 75percent of the Australian population is now being engaged by the private sector .
“Each time I visited my community ,I am always worried about the level of poverty and unemployment among our youths .
But my findings had revealed that the youths actually need somebody ,I mean a spirited individual who can redirect their energies towards profitable ventures .With the situation of Nigeria,I don’t think it will be wise for any reasonable person to be looking for non- existing white collar jobs.”
“What we have been able to do in the last few months is to interact with them, so as to know their specific areas of needs.
Our organization can now serve as facilitator in the area of mentorship .”
“Most of these youths can actually do well on their own, but many of them did not either know where to go or know where the opportunities are .And this is why Ekiti Titun Initiative will come in . We are looking at the agricultural sector and I am glad that the present government in Ekiti State is also taking that as one of its policy frameworks.”