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Nigeria’s Technical Education in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities

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  • Nigeria’s Technical Education in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities
  • November 24, 2022

Despite its importance in the Nigerian education sector, Technical Education has faced several challenges in the 21st century. Lack of money, corruption and the attitudes of women and parents toward it are a few of these, among others.

Parents’ attitudes

Even though the ten-item questionnaire was designed for vocational education, some items were simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses. The researcher used a multivariate ordered response model to account for possible correlations among unobserved attributes. This may have influenced the respondents’ responses.

Among the findings, 79 percent of parents agree that vocational education programs are appropriate for society. They also recognize the employment value of vocational education. 

Parents also support the establishment of more vocational schools. They suggest scholarships for girls to study industrial and technical education. They also believe that non-governmental organizations should encourage girls to study technical courses. However, they are not convinced that their religious beliefs should be used to guide their daughters’ education.

The study showed that most parents believe boys are more skilled in science-related fields than girls. However, many parents also believe that girls are better suited for academically oriented occupations. In addition, they hold white-collar jobs in high regard.

Even though parents play a significant role in educating their children, most are not aware of the value of education in general. Several parents were unaware that the best way to correct a past mistake was to amend it with a new one. 

However, this may not necessarily apply to those parents whose children are out of school. This paper is part of a more extensive study investigating parental attitudes toward technical education in Nigeria.

In addition to the survey, researchers also interviewed 200 parents in the Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. The parents were selected using a purposive random sampling method. Even though the sample size was relatively small, the response rate was acceptable. 

The results do not apply to other cities in Nigeria. However, they provide important insights into the policies, campaigns, and strategies that could help promote the study of technical education in the 21st century.

The findings are based on a small sample of parents and, therefore, cannot be generalized to other cities in Nigeria. Nevertheless, they are a good indication of parents’ attitudes toward vocational education.

Lack of funding

Despite its importance in preparing graduates for the workforce, technical and vocational education in Nigeria is not well funded. The triumvirate of a limited budget, a lack of qualified staff, and an inadequate curriculum is a recipe for failure. However, a few options have been suggested for success.

A good starting point for technical educators is to convince the relevant lawmakers that the program deserves a better funding scheme. Secondly, a well-designed curriculum should be provided. Moreover, adequate remuneration for qualified and experienced teachers should be offered. 

Finally, instructional materials and equipment should be provided. Despite the high cost of running a vocational and technical education program, it can contribute to economic growth and development.

However, many of the technical education programs in Nigeria are characterized by inadequate funding, poor curriculum design, outdated equipment, and a lack of knowledge about the latest technologies. The result is that graduates are often discriminated against in the workforce.

Over 45% of the Nigerian professional workforce has left the country in the last decade. This indicates that there is much space for development in the field of education. In particular, the lack of technical and vocational education graduates has adversely affected the nation’s unemployment rates. The Education Commission estimates that sub-Saharan Africa will require an investment of $175 billion annually through 2050 to meet the secondary educational needs of all citizens.

However, Nigeria is not alone. Many developing countries are plagued by fraud, bribery, and other dubious tactics that affect education delivery. Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon. Corruption occurs in virtually all aspects of the economy. It is most often attributed to the rich and powerful and attacks the very fabric of society.

However, the most effective strategy to counter this is to increase the funding allocated to the education sector and provide incentives for teachers and staff. A renewed whole-of-government strategy should include additional funding, expertise, and networks to support education in sub-Saharan Africa.

As a result, the government of Nigeria will remain technologically behind its peers. However, if the government can provide the necessary funding and incentives and invest in the right technology, it can transform the country’s education sector into a modern and competitive one.

Women’s involvement

Even though women make up over half of the nation’s population, their involvement in technical education in Nigeria in the 21st century remains minimal. The study explores the relationship between women’s education, economic development, and national development in Nigeria. The researchers adopted a descriptive survey research design to gather data.

The research focused on variables of interest such as women’s education, economic development, standard of living, and household income. The data were collected through a descriptive survey research design using questionnaires and open-ended questions. The findings revealed a positive relationship between women’s education and economic development in Nigeria.

Even though women make up over 50% of the nation’s population, their involvement at all levels of education is limited. The government must encourage more women to acquire an education because education contributes to economic growth.

One of the main challenges in training females in technical education is the lack of access. Although most parents agreed that their daughters should be enrolled in technical courses, some disagreed. 

Some parents recommended changing the curriculum to reflect girls’ industrial and technical education interests. Others suggested that there should be separate schools for girls to study technical courses. Some parents also suggested introducing laws to protect women.

Although the study’s findings suggested that women’s involvement in technical education in Nigeria in the 21st Century remains minimal, the authors believe that policies should be adopted to encourage women’s education at all levels. Policies should also encourage women’s health and economic development.

The authors argue that the lack of emphasis on girls’ education is one of the main reasons for the underdevelopment of the nation’s industrial sectors. The government should implement proactive policies to encourage more women to acquire education. These policies should also encourage women to contribute to the development of society.

In addition, the study found that the education level positively impacts both economic growth and child welfare. However, the effects of tertiary education enrolment for females in the current year of CW level were insignificant.

Corruption

Despite Nigeria’s status as one of the world’s most economically advanced countries, it is plagued by corruption. In the last four years, 82.3 million bribes have been paid to officials by Nigerians. These bribes have contributed to $4.6 billion in bribe benefits.

Corruption is widespread in Nigeria, and its effects are felt across the economic and security sectors. It undermines Nigeria’s ability to realize its enormous economic and development potential. It also undermines the country’s ability to attract international development assistance. It destabilizes security challenges in conflict hotspots and negatively impacts emergency aid.

Corruption can take many forms. Among them, there are bribery, extortion, and fraud. Bribery involves payment, favors, gifts, and kickbacks. Extortion involves threats and violence, and fraud involves deceit and trickery.

Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon. It is also a problem in developing nations. Some analysts argue that too much government involvement is the root cause of corruption in developing countries. Others point to the lack of a robust framework for understanding corruption.

Corruption in Nigeria has a variety of forms, depending on the location. Some types are more prevalent in specific sectors than others. In Nigeria, for example, the educational sector is susceptible to corruption. This is because the educational sector can affect the corruption process in the larger society. It also has the potential to marrier development structures.

A taxonomy has been developed to help differentiate between the different forms of corruption. It identifies twenty sectors and eight behavioral categories, which apply to local and national level dynamics.

The taxonomy provides an understanding of corruption behaviors and techniques in Nigeria. It also details the negative consequences of corruption in each sector. In addition, it outlines a set of examples for each of the twenty sectors. It is important to note that some forms of corruption are more damaging because of their multiplier effect on the system.

Corruption in Nigeria hurts the economy, stymieing development. It also destroys the social contract between the government and the people.

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