KEY POINTS
- Admission age limit lifted to improve access for youth.
- The government rejects certificates from unaccredited foreign institutions.
- Agricultural universities will adopt commercial farming practices
Dr. Tunji Alausa, the nation’s new minister of education, announced the removal of the 18-year-old minimum age requirement for admission to Nigeria’s higher educational institutions. The action is part of a larger movement to change educational standards to better meet the requirements of the nation and to make higher education more accessible to young Nigerians.
Education minister eyes reforms for employable graduates
Alausa also touched on the prospect of a thorough examination of Nigeria’s educational system during his first ministerial press conference in Abuja on Tuesday. He emphasised that existing rules might need to be updated to meet the evolving demands of the labour market and to give students the skills they need to succeed in modern employment.
According to punch, the federal government will not re-examine its decision to nullify nearly 22,700-degree certificates earned by Nigerians from “fake” colleges in neighbouring Togo and Benin, Alausa added in his discussion of the problem of unaccredited foreign universities. To maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system, he underlined the value of legitimate academic credentials and declared that the government would keep cracking down on degrees from unapproved universities.
The minister emphasised that universities must equip students with skills that meet market demands and emphasised the value of practical education as a means of addressing Nigeria’s rising unemployment rates. “We cannot keep producing graduates each year without preparing them for open positions,” Alausa stated. To ensure that students are more equipped for fulfilling work, he recommended restructuring Nigeria’s educational system to close the knowledge gap between academics and industry.
Agricultural universities to address food insecurity
Alausa described intentions for the federal government to work with private sector operators to train students in this manner. The goal of this collaboration is to support a curriculum that prioritises practical skills, enabling students to reach their greatest potential and improving their employability. Alausa aims to develop a more comprehensive, skills-focused educational system that will benefit students and the economy by incorporating private sector participation.
Additionally, he said that new mandates to engage in commercial farming practices will be granted to Nigeria’s agricultural universities. By utilising the assets and knowledge of agricultural institutions, this program seeks to alleviate food insecurity by increasing regional food production. Alausa expressed confidence that Nigeria may advance towards greater food security and self-sufficiency by allowing agricultural universities to adopt large-scale farming.
Punch stated that the new regulations demonstrate Alausa’s dedication to improving educational standards and enhancing the higher education system’s ability to adapt to social and economic issues.
