The Group Managing Director, UAC of Nigeria Plc, Mr. Fola Aiyesimoju has identified the dearth of skilled technicians as a major factor impeding national development in Nigeria.
He pointed this out at the Fafunwa Educational Foundation (FEF) 21st Annual Lecture and 16th Post-Doctoral Award event held at the Faculty of Education Auditorium, UNILAG, on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
Citing an example of a set back which occurred some years ago at a UAC manufacturing plant in Northern Nigeria, with equipment worth millions of naira, Mr. Aiyesimoju highlighted the importance of sound vocational and technical training.
According to him, the manufacturing plant had not been producing as it should have, and a lot of money, time and resources was wasted trying to get to the root cause, all to no avail. Cost of production kept rising while sales declined. However, earlier this year, revamping was done and a newly hired technician, after evaluating the problem, revealed that the plant had a high energy consumption rate, which he traced to the boiler. Simply servicing the boiler led to reduced cost of production, and saving thousands of jobs.
Mr. Aiyesimoju, an alumnus of the University and Chairman of the occasion, noted that national development is the capacity of a nation to improve the lives of its people. His words, “to achieve national development, things (hospitals, plants, universities, etc) must be built, operated and maintained. And to do these, there is the need for skilled technicians”.
While reiterating the importance of sound vocational and technical education/skills, he expressed pleasure at the collaboration between Fafunwa Educational Foundation and University of Lagos, and assured that challenges faced by UAC and Nigeria as a whole can be solved by building upon technical skills.
The Dean, Faculty of Education, Prof. Simeon Oladipo, who doubled as the representative of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, in his welcome address, disclosed that the purpose of education is not just for the acquisition of knowledge but also for the acquisition of skills which will in turn enable students and graduates contribute meaningfully to the society. He revealed the central theme of the event aims to draw attention to the need to revamp vocational and technical training in Nigeria, and assured participants that solutions to Nigeria’s problems of poverty, power, etc, would be provided during the lecture.
The Guest Speaker and former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, took to the podium to deliver the 21st Annual Lecture titled: “Revamping Nigeria’s Vocational and Technical Education for Economic Development”. He began his lecture by celebrating the founder of the Foundation, late Prof. Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa who was Nigeria’s first professor of Education, former minister of education who had a passion for educational development, and Nigeria National Order of Merit (NNOM) Award recipient. He noted that Prof Fafunwa’s main objective for the Ife 6-year primary project was to develop a coherent primary education using the mother tongue as a medium of instruction. He believed that at primary school level, the mother tongue should be used to teach pupils, to make learning easy.
While Prof. Olayinka defined technical education as an aspect of education which leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as basic scientific knowledge, he also defined vocational education as an aspect of technical education that lays emphasis on skills acquisition and functional education for the development of the society. According to him, the latter leads to employment in a job, trade or an occupation.
The former Vice-Chancellor explained the rationale behind technical and vocational education, its benefits, and structure of the Nigerian education system; curriculum issues; importance and challenges of technical and vocational education and what can be done to revamp Nigeria’s vocational and technical education.
He noted that to revamp a system, there is a need for periodic reviews, and a need to rejig or rethink. He also noted that revamping vocational and technical education (VTE) requires the application of scientific knowledge into vocational and technical education sub-sector in Nigeria with a view of identifying, studying, analysing, evaluating and continuing or terminating vocational and technical education programme.
Prof. Olayinka listed the role of VTE in addressing economic challenges; and benefits of revamping it to the economy. He suggested some strategies for improving VTE in Nigeria including the incorporation of school-to-work programmes into VTE programme as it would help students put into practice what they have learnt and improve on them; enhancement of VTE teacher preparatory and re-training programme; financing; policy implementation; strong collaboration between government and education sector; strong coordination and governance; quality assurance; provision of market for VTE products; effective industry and VTE programme collaboration/linkages; increased access to VTE programme; among others.
Prof. Olayinka rounded off the lecture by recommending a total overhaul of the educational system with syllabuses containing innovative, re-engineered or re-designed disciplines that will capture today’s intellectual battles and innovation curiosity; adoption of e-learning; a synergy between the VTE institutions, universities and industries in order to improve the transition of theoretical knowledge acquired into practical, competency-based skills and market value skills; the need to expose our VTE trainers through international synergy with international researchers as linkages and collaborators to mention a few.
As part of the event, Mr. Okey Ndibe, son-in-law of late Prof. Fafunwa delivered a goodwill message on behalf of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Doris Fafunwa; beautiful cultural displays were presented by students of Babs Fafunwa Senior Secondary School, Ojodu, Lagos; Dr Oyenike of the Faculty of Education talked about the history, activities and challenges of the Foundation; post-doctoral seminar presentations were made by the winners of the 16th postdoctoral awards; and creative products were arrayed at the back of the Hall by students of the Faculty of Education.
Winners of the 16th Post-Doctoral awards were announced as follows:
• Dr. Ayodeji Temitope Ojo of the University of Ibadan – 1st place with prize-money of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000:00);
• Dr. Diakeleho-Edjere Oghomena of Delta State University – 2nd place with prize-money of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150,000:00); and
• Dr. Foluke Bibiana Ayodele of Ekiti State University – 3rd place with prize-money of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000:00).
Four students of the Faculty who had put up their products on display were evaluated by jurors at the event and adjudged as follows:
• Imisioluwa Irinsanmi – a fresh graduate of Home Economics Education with her amazing crochet works won 1st prize of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000:00).
• Paul Oluwagbemiga Eniayesuni – a 400level student of Early Childhood Education with his highly innovative pencil-shavings collages and handworks won 2nd prize of Seventy Five Thousand Naira (N75, 000:00).
The 3rd prize of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50, 000:00) was shared by Zulaikha Olabisi Sanusi (a 400level student of Technology and Vocational Education for her ottoman/storage makeshift) and Sarah Oluwatoyin Kilanko (a 400level student of Home Economics Education for her beautiful turbans and hair fascinators) who had placed a tie.
One of the daughters of the donor, Prof. Sherry Fafunwa-Ndibe, in her vote of thanks, summarised the lecture and expressed hopes that Nigeria would work on bringing more instructional opportunities to all, young and old, as guidance on new technologies.
The event had in attendance, several students, members of faculty across the university, well-wishers and dignitaries, including His Royal Highness, Alhaji Mamman Saba Jebba Etsuyankpa of Jebbaland, Niger State who said the closing prayer.
Earlier in the day, members of the Fafunwa Educational Foundation (FEF) and the Faculty of Education paid a courtesy visit to the Senate House Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS. They were received by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa along with Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics & Research), Prof. Bola Oboh; Acting Registrar, Mrs. Olakunle Makinde and Director, Academic Planning Unit, Prof. Olusoji Ilori.
FEF is a non-governmental organisation established in 1995 by late Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa to promote and fund educational research in tertiary institutions; award prizes to undergraduates/graduates of higher institutions; promote a forum for dialogue between education practitioners and policy makers; among other objectives.
Born in 1923, late Prof. Aliu Babatunde (Babs) Fafunwa was the first Nigerian recipient of a doctoral degree in education (1958); and first Nigerian Professor of Education (1966). He served meritoriously as Acting Vice-Chancellor at both University of Nigeria, Nsukka and University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University); as well as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, University of Calabar. He was a notable authority on the History of Educational Planning in Nigeria. He originated the 6-3-3-4 educational system with the belief that it was ideal that mother tongue should be used to teach primary school pupils, thus make learning easy. He retired from active teaching service in 1978 to start the first Tutorial College in Nigeria in 1982. He was Vice President and President of the Nigerian Academy of Education (1985 – 1990) and Honourable Minister of Education and Youth Development (1990-1993). He passed on in 2010.
…and his legacy lives on 13 years after. Enjoy memories made at the event below.
