How, Why Universities Produce Half-Baked Graduates
The current curriculum in
Nigeria’s schools is mess
because it lacks information
and communications
technology (ICT) ingredients
leaving the system to churn
out half-baked graduates,
according to some experts
who should know.
According to them, the
he system as it is today
cannot create a
knowledge driven
economy or so called
new economy in which
the generation and the
exploitation of
knowledge play the
major part in the
creation of wealth.
Dr. Bukola Onashoga,
the chairperson,
Nigeria Computer
Society (NCS), Ogun
State Chapter blamed
the widening gap
between the academia
and information
technology industry in
the country.
She said, “There are
various ways to look
at it. When an
institution fails to
align the
undergraduates with
the practical know-
how, or shield them
from tapping the
technical competencies
of the practitioners in
the field, such blames
cannot be ruled out,
because the students
will be missing a lot.
Mr. Dare Ogunlade,
general manager, Cisco
Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia
and Sierra Leone, said
to solve the problem,
“One thing we can do
in this era is to
integrate some
professionals into the
academic world,
instead of allowing the
students to base their
orientation or
knowledge on the
theoretical aspects of
computing.
It is good to involve
them. The way we are
going, it is good to
involve the
practitioners. The
practical should not be
limited to during
project-writing or
thesis, rather from the
first day a student
enrolls in school, he
ought to start learning
‘hands-on’ computer.
For instance, in
FUNAAB, the students’
industrial (training)
attachment has been
extended from three
months to six months,
to avail them the
opportunity to get
more knowledge of the
industry”.
She added that NCS
Ogun State Chapter
have even launched
“Computer Brains
Club”, as part of
measures to take IT
advocacy to primary
and secondary schools,
while convincing the
pupils of taking up
careers in IT.
