Abuja, Nigeria: The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has commenced a comprehensive review of tertiary education agriculture curricula to align technical training with industry requirements and modern agricultural practices.
The five-day National Occupational Standards (NOS) Review and Development Workshop, sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), held from June 22 to June 26. The workshop brings together education experts, industry practitioners and policymakers to review and develop occupational standards for agriculture-related programmes.
Speaking at the workshop, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said the exercise is aimed at strengthening skills acquisition and boosting agricultural productivity across Nigeria.
Bugaje said that many agricultural curricula have remained unchanged for more than 15 years despite significant technological advancements in the agricultural sector. He observed that outdated curricula have become less attractive to young people and no longer reflect the realities of modern agriculture and agribusiness.
According to him, the review is intended to develop industry-driven curricula that will equip graduates with the practical competencies required by employers.
He stated that the exercise covers National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) agricultural programmes, as well as the National Occupational Standards for key agricultural trades.
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Bugaje explained that agriculture remains a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy and requires a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation and enhancing food security. He stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between training institutions and industry to ensure graduates acquire relevant and marketable skills.
The NBTE Executive Secretary further stated that the revised curricula will incorporate smart agriculture, emerging technologies, mechanisation and entrepreneurship to encourage greater youth participation in the agricultural sector. He added that recent skills-gap studies revealed significant shortages of qualified technicians across crop production, livestock, fisheries and forestry value chains.
According to Bugaje, the new occupational standards will place greater emphasis on hands-on learning, competency-based training and measurable learning outcomes.
He reiterated NBTE’s commitment to increasing the practical content of agricultural programmes to ensure graduates are industry-ready upon completion of their studies. He added that the Board is working towards maintaining a strong practical-to-theory ratio to improve graduate employability and productivity.
Describing the workshop as a critical step towards repositioning technical and vocational education, Bugaje said the initiative would support economic growth and agricultural transformation. He expressed optimism that the reviewed curricula and occupational standards would revive interest in agricultural education and contribute to achieving Nigeria’s national food security objectives.
Bugaje further noted that curriculum review remains central to NBTE’s broader reform agenda aimed at aligning technical education programmes with national and international standards.
