By Abel Japheth Adavize – TVET NEWS MONITOR
The College of Agriculture and Animal Science, (CAAS), Division of Agricultural Colleges (DAC), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Mando, Kaduna, has pledged to implement the National Board for Technical Education’s revised agriculture curriculum with a strong emphasis on practical training to produce graduates who meet industry demands.
Provost of the College, Professor Aliyu Mohammed Wakawa, revealed this in an exclusive interview with TVET NEWS MONITOR, on the sidelines of the Agriculture Curriculum Review Workshop in Kaduna organised by the Professor Bugaje-led review Committee.
He said the college is fully committed to working with NBTE to ensure the successful rollout of the new curricula. He described the initiative as a historic step toward reviving Nigeria’s agricultural economy through tertiary institutions.
Speaking on the rationale for the review, Prof. Wakawa noted that for years, tertiary institutions have produced graduates who struggle to fit into industrial needs due to outdated curricula. Many, he said, find it difficult to adapt when they encounter technologically advanced systems in agricultural industries.
“The College of Agriculture and Animal Science, CAAS DAC-ABU Mando, Kaduna is strongly committed to working with NBTE for successful implementation of the revised curricula for Agriculture that will enhance our capacity to produce more practical and globally competent graduates,” he stated.
On curriculum content, the Provost said CAAS participated in field identification of skills gaps and made recommendations across key areas. These include species-specific husbandry, value chain and marketing, rangeland and pasture establishment, precision livestock farming, breeding and reproduction, feeds and nutrition, climate-smart crops and livestock farming, digital livestock management, and veterinary diagnostics.
To support implementation, the college is leveraging its extensive facilities. CAAS has more than 50 hectares of fertile land dedicated to practical teaching of arable farming, alongside a dam and a 1.5-hectare irrigation facility for dry season farming. These serve as demonstration plots for student training.
Prof. Wakawa added that the college will upgrade its livestock facilities covering poultry, fishery, cattle, dairy, small ruminants, piggery, and rabbitry to align with the new curriculum. The goal is to meet the 70% practical benchmark set by NBTE and ensure graduates leave with industrial competence in line with global best practices.
On staff capacity, he said the college already has qualified personnel but will work with NBTE to retrain lecturers, instructors, and technologists. The retraining will focus on industry-based skills such as animal breeding, artificial insemination technology, precision farming, and climate-smart and digital livestock management systems.
He explained that this approach will improve graduates’ ability to either secure employment in agricultural industries or become self-employed. The emphasis is on producing graduates who can apply modern agricultural practices from day one.
For quality assurance, CAAS has activated its Quality Assurance Unit to monitor implementation. The unit will validate practical-ready infrastructure and safety, redefine tools for assessing practical competency, conduct process-based monitoring, link curriculum delivery to real farm outcomes, and enforce accountability to prevent the new curriculum from becoming paper compliance.
Professor Wakawa commended the Federal Government and NBTE Executive Secretary Professor Idris Bugaje for leading what he called a comprehensive and ongoing process to reposition agricultural education in Nigeria.