Bart Nnaji Seeks Increased Funding For Technological Education

A former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, has called for increase in investment in tertiary education in the country for Nigerian varsities to begin to make impact in the world of technology.

Nnaji said this via zoom while speaking on the topic: “Globalisation and concurrent challenges of higher education”, at a colloquium organised in honour of Chief Afe Babalola in Ibadan on Monday.

Nnaji said Nigerian varsities were doing very well in humanities and law, saying that was the reason a seasoned lawyer like Chief Afe Babalola ( SAN) and his type abound in the country.

He, however, said there was low investment in the education sector which he said was affecting the quality of graduates produced in sciences, engineering and medicine.

The professor of engineering traces the root of the problem in education to poor quality of teachers at the elementary school level.

He said some head teachers in primary schools could not speak a sentence correctly, wondering how such teachers could make positive impact.

Nnaji also blamed the involvement of some secondary school pupils in cultism, saying this usually poses problem in universities where such students are admitted.

He said federal and state governments should prioritise retraining of teachers to widen their knowledge base, with a view to enhance the quality of teaching in public primary schools.

He said, “if you look at public primary schools, we have very uneducated teachers and poor quality of staff. In some primary schools in my village, the head teachers can hardly speak good English.

“Much has to be done producing quality of teachers. Colleges of education should be worked on. There is rampant cases of bribing, using of mercenaries to write examinations for students. When such students get to university, you can imagine how they will come.

“Decades ago, there used to be high quality federal colleges. What we have today are unimpressive. There should be a total revamp of our colleges of education so that they can produce intellectually sound teachers, who will give students proper footings at the primary and secondary school levels.

“The government is not funding university education adequately. Budgetary allocation to education by the government is low and not up to United Nations. Government should increase quantum of funding for universities, most especially to boost science and technology education.”

The Executive Secretary National Commission for Colleges of Education, Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, in his own presentation lamented the presence of some illegal colleges of education in the country.

He said the product of such illegal colleges would graduate and be engaged to teach pupils thereby causing greater harm to the sector.ans the country at large.