The National Board for Technical Education is driving the transformation of Nigeria’s educational system by incorporating data science into the quality assurance process for the country’s Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
The board’s Executive Secretary, Prof. I.M. Bugaje, said the full implementation of the process is scheduled for January 2024 and that the board’s commitment to digitalization is rooted in the belief that technology can significantly enhance the quality and accessibility of technical education.
According to a statement issued by the Board’s Head of Media, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, the successful implementation of the digitalization process can be traced back to the Executive Secretary’s investment in training the NBTE staff in web development and artificial intelligence both locally and internationally, which is critical in managing the web platform.
The statement explained that the contribution of the Federal Government through the National Communication Commission (NCC) in providing and installing internet facilities across Polytechnics in the six geopolitical zones is a gesture of the government in the digitalization of education in Nigeria.
It added that the unbundling of computer science is the first of its kind in Nigeria’s education history, where key players like Huawei and Cisco networking companies were involved in the unbundling process; this was done to make Nigerian graduates enterprising.
It read in parts: “In 2023, the Executive Secretary, Prof. I.M. Bugaje, unbundled the HND Computer Science curriculum into four components, namely Software and Web Development, Cyber-security and Data Protection, Artificial Intelligence, Networking and Cloud Computing.
“The digitalization initiative envisions a future where technology plays a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of technical education in Nigeria. With a commitment to ensuring the country’s technical education system remains globally competitive, NBTE is embracing digital tools and platforms. This is to revolutionize various aspects of its operations and ensure seamless accreditation more transparently.
“The digitalization process encompasses a range of strategic objectives, including digitizing academic records, automating accreditation processes, and implementing e-learning platforms with a Learning Management System (LMS) that can be monitored. Bugaje emphasizes that these measures are essential for keeping pace with the rapidly evolving demands of the modern world, providing students with cutting-edge education, and equipping them with the skills necessary to thrive in a digital era.”
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