By Aliyu Musa Gina
The Federal Ministry of Education, in conjunction with the Ministerial Implementation Committee, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, has announced the National Unveiling and Public Presentation of the Newly Developed and Reviewed Agricultural Curricula and National Occupational Standards (NOS) for tertiary TVET institutions and Colleges of Education.
The landmark reform, according to the Ministry, is set to reposition agricultural education in Nigeria’s Polytechnics, Monotechnics, Colleges of Agriculture and Colleges of Education from theory-based learning to a competence-based, industry-driven system.
The unveiling will be led by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Maruf Alausa, CON, alongside the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad.
Other dignitaries expected at the national presentation are the Honourable Minister of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, and the Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
The initiative is the outcome of the report submitted by the Ministerial Implementation Committee chaired by the NBTE, which undertook a comprehensive review and development exercise to bridge the gap between training and industry needs.
A total of 36 National Diploma and Higher National Diploma curricula were newly developed and reviewed, alongside 3 Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) Agricultural curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards (NOS) – comprising 27 newly developed and 4 reviewed standards.
The new curricula introduce a paradigm shift from the old 70% theory and 30% practical model to 80% practical, 20% theory, in line with the Federal Government’s skills-driven TVET agenda.
New and emerging skills areas captured include Produce Inspection and Export Management, Post-Harvest Technology, Organic Crop Production, Organic Animal Production, Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, and Agribusiness Management.
The 31 NOS are designed to provide standardized benchmarks for assessment and certification of skills across the agricultural value chain, enabling mobility, recognition of prior learning, and alignment with the Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF).
Speaking on the reform earlier while receiving the Committee’s report, Dr. Alausa said the review was central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to make agriculture attractive, productive and capable of creating jobs for Nigerian youths.
“The ultimate objective is to ensure that young Nigerians acquire practical skills that can be applied beyond the classroom. We are moving agriculture from a largely theoretical field to a skills-based sector,” the Minister said.
For TVET stakeholders, the unveiling is expected to trigger immediate implementation in all NBTE-regulated institutions, with a call for extensive sensitization of rectors, provosts, heads of departments, instructors and industry partners.
The National Unveiling and Public Presentation is scheduled to hold in Abuja, with all accredited Polytechnics, Colleges of Agriculture and Colleges of Education expected to commence adoption from the next academic session.