History of Vocational and Technical Education In Nigeria (2024)

History of Vocational and Technical Education In Nigeria. Vocational and technical education is a form of learning in the secondary and lower tertiary level that helps in the acquisition of skills as well as scientific knowledge.

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Vocational education helps students prepare for different programs like agricultural industry, commerce, and others. With vocational and technical education, youths or students can explore different career options. Vocational education also supports skills, high academic standards, and others. During vocational and technical education, there are lots of practical activities.

History of Vocational and Technical Education In Nigeria

Vocational and technical education dates far back when Nigeria came in touch with the foreign merchandise and also missionaries. Nigeria has so much neglected the vocational and technical education in the country. The common method of vocational and technical education is through apprenticeship, handicrafts, and others.

However, vocational education provides its learners to be an industrialist in a particular field, which could help in the country’s economic growth.

If the country keeps producing more university graduates, the question for us to answer is this “WHERE WILL THESE SET OF PEOPLE WORK”?

If we produce graduates only, we cannot survive on that, we need the drivers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and others for the nation to keep functioning properly. We have lots of people who graduated from vocational and technical education, today they are proud entrepreneurs, if we look at our institutions today, they are not well equipped to give us what we need. I can boldly say a roadside mechanic knows the job of fixing a car better than a university graduate, now you see why we say vocational education is important. Am not being a critic that university education is bad, but the youths that are not privileged to get into the university can also learn one or two things and become entrepreneurs today.

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ROLES OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Vocational and technical education has played lots of important roles in the country today, let’s look at some of them in national development.

• Vocational and technical education has been able to provide employment opportunities for the youths of the country. With the help of vocational and technical education, unemployment will become a thing of the past. Youths will become entrepreneurs of the country.
• Vocational and technical education plays major roles in the improvement of living standards. Skills acquired through vocational and technical education helps the individual and also the nation, to boost in all sectors. One of the good thing about this is that, once a particular sector is being improved upon others will follow suite.
• Promoting of political stability. This will help in employment opportunities in the country and a drastic reduction in crime rate.

If vocational and technical education is mainly put into place, the gap difference between the rich and the poor will close, there will be peace and a favourable environment to live in. There will be an increased pace of technological innovations. Lots of manpower will be available, this will boost the industrial sector of the nation’s economy. With good technological innovations in the country, industries will grow well, there will be good maintenance and also the good delivery of products and services.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

There are various aims and objectives of the vocational and technical education in Nigeria.
Vocational and technical education helps in the professional development of the country and also create employment opportunities for the young ones in the society.

Their aim is targeted at preparing individuals for productivity and development of the nation.

• Providing trained manpower in the technology, advanced craft, and technical levels.
• Provision of vocational skills for the agricultural and economic development.
• It is also a targeted form of skill acquisition for the youths.

PROBLEMS OF VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Vocational and technical education was mainly designed to curb the rate of unemployment in the country. Many of these skills are acquired by individuals to help improve their standard of living. However, we have so many problems facing the vocational and educational sector in the country today.

• STAFF TRANSFER

When students see a particular instructor or teacher who teaches them, eventually they get used to the person. Staff transfer makes it difficult for students who are being trained focus and as a result will make them lose interest in whatever is being taught.

• LACK OF FINANCE

This is one of the major challenges that has been affecting lots of students today. Education in any form requires funds at one point in time or another to make it run smoothly. People who wish to study might not have the amount/fees, which is desired to further their education, which will lead to some of them dropping out of the training program.

• SUBSTANDARD FACILITIES

Students cannot learn in an environment or an institution where there are no standard facilities. Many institutions find it difficult to provide good facilities which will help in promoting good quality vocational and technical education for its students.

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CONCLUSION

In conclusion, going through the article, you will note that vocational and technical education helps a national growth and development. A nation cannot move forward without education, professionals are nurtured, there will be no mass poverty, employment opportunities and wealth creation will be on the increase. As we can see, education is the key to a better nation which will produce a strong economy.