By Ahmed Ajikobi
The Brain Building Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) has tasked the federal government, state and
other stakeholders on the need to properly fund education and review education curriculum in order to ensure that learning and learning methods meet the current realities and therefore overcome the unforeseen challenges created by Covid-19 pandemic.
The Executive Director of BBYDI, Olasupo Abideen made this call on Thursday while unveiling Policy Brief titled ‘Ride to Remote: Towards Improving Nigeria’s Education System amidst COVID-19’ at DHub, Ilorin in Kwara State.
According to Olasupo, the policy brief assessed the impacts of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s education system and offered recommendations to relevant authorities and stakeholders.
His words: “First, we implore the Federal Government to review education curriculum. This is to ensure that learning and learning methods meet current realities.
The FG is also urged to improve accreditation criteria for Higher Education Institutions. The National University Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and other accrediting agencies should include digital latency as part of accreditation criteria for higher institutions.
“Improving digital frontiers of higher institutions should not be at the behest of the school management, rather, it should be a legal mandate, for the establishment and maintenance of the institutions.”
The organization in the research conducted through Google form questionnaire and Focus Group discussions that featured youth and student leaders from tertiary institutions across the country, discovered that some lecturers are not digitally literate.
They therefore called for training of lecturers on digital skills, provision of infrastructure for virtual education and inclusion of remote learning option in higher institutions.
BBYDI in the report of research supported by Global Campaign for Education implored young people to avoid physical isolation, leverage digital platforms to access opportunities and identity as well solve problems using indigenous methods.
