FG Calls for Integration of Technology in Varsity Education Delivery
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The federal government has stressed the need to integrate technology into the delivery of university education to ensure its resilience in a post-COVID-19 world.
The apex government added that the approach would harness the power of innovation that institutions need to foster sustainable university-industry partnerships that transcend traditional boundaries.
Acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki made the call at the third annual conference of the Forum for Innovation in African Universities (FIAU).
The conference was organised under the theme, “Strengthening Africa’s Higher Education in a post-COVID-19 world.”
He said the partnerships would allow an alignment with the curricula based on evolving needs of the job market, by creating graduates who are not only well-versed in theory but also possess the practical skills demanded by employers.
He added that furthermore, collaboration with industries would enable universities to conduct impactful research that addresses real-world challenges that continue to impact mankind, so as to secure tangible socio-economic development.
He said:”To ensure that graduates of the Continent are fully equipped with the required skills and knowledge to succeed in the 21st century, we must constantly strive to improve and update our educational programmes in consonance with the realities of global best practices.
“Higher education must shift to offer every student opportunities for the continuous refinement of the skills needed employment in a competitive world.”
He charged university academia with a collective responsibility to address the challenges before it and forge a path toward a stronger and more resilient future for higher education in Africa.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. David Adejo, said there was a great prospect for African universities to make progress in the post-covid-19 era.
Adejo said Africa was fortunate because predictions about the severity of the pandemic in the continent did come true, however, the continent has not been able to properly deal with the socio-economic impact of the pandemic.
According to him, the initiative for establishing Forum for Innovation in African Universities, FIAU, in 2019, was a direct response to the adverse effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the educational sector in Africa.
He commended FIAU for encouraging knowledge exchange and working closely with regional and global partners to pool resources to support African universities, adding that this is what the continent needs in the post-COVID era to enable it overcome the challenges it brought.
“This will definitely impact the upscaling of the teaching profession and personal to digitize and utilize content as well as course materials,” he said.
