By lbrahiym A. El-Caleel
As I mentioned elsewhere, Nigeria’s educational system is not actually that bad. We need to understand that Nigeria has many good systems in place; the only problem is that these systems are either abused or not functioning efficiently. For instance, in our banking sector today, credit and debit alerts are nearly instantaneous. If I send you money now, you will be credited immediately and receive an SMS alert. This is made possible by the investments Nigerian banks have made in technological infrastructure, such as the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).
Many people, including myself, were shocked by the revelation that in Germany, there is a one-day lag in effecting transfers. This means that if I send you money today, you will only receive it in your account tomorrow. This was the system we had in Nigeria about 15 to 20 years ago. Germany is still stuck there despite being a G8 nation. At least, this is what we read from Dr. Muhsin Ibrahim in 2021. Germany is lagging behind Nigeria in banking efficiency. Who could have foreseen that? I am making this point so that we understand that Nigeria is not lacking systems. Many things in this country have established systems.
Now, let’s discuss our university system. Nigeria understands the need to bridge the gap between industry expectations and what is being taught to graduates in classrooms. Nigeria recognizes that graduates need to develop skills beyond classroom teaching. These are the relevant skills that will assist them in their careers when they graduate. Therefore, as far back as 1973, Nigeria established the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), commonly called “Industrial Attachment/Training” or simply IT. This program is nationally facilitated by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) directorate, with headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.
The objective of SIWES was to address the problem of tertiary institution graduates’ lack of appropriate skills for employment in Nigerian industries. When was this problem first addressed? In 1973. A very long time ago—51 years ago! So, who said Nigeria’s educational system isn’t aware of the graduate skill gap? This is something it established 51 years ago and is still running.
Now, what is supposed to happen during SIWES?
At this stage, let me quote directly from the ITF’s Policy Document No. 1 of 1973, which established SIWES. SIWES is to:
- Provide an avenue for students in Institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial skills and experience in their respective courses of study.
- Prepare students for the Industrial Work situation they are likely to experience after graduation.
- Expose students to work methods and techniques of handling equipment and machinery that may not be available in their Institutions.
- Make the transition from school to the world of work easier; and enhance students’ networks for later job placements.
- Provide students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge to real work situations, thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice; and
- Enlist and strengthen Employers’ involvement in the entire educational process; thereby preparing the students for employment in Industry and Commerce.
These are the objectives of SIWES. Do they sound familiar with all the yearnings we hear about “skills, skills, skills”? Now, does a Nigerian degree expose a student to skills acquisition or not? Well, it does! SIWES is a full semester in the Nigerian degree curriculum.
Students in SIWES have a logbook where they are expected to record their activities in the organization every single day of the entire 6-month program. Nigeria pays lecturers to travel across the country to supervise these students, ensuring they are doing what the curriculum expects. Furthermore, these students write a “project” at the end of SIWES to explain what they’ve learned. The country pays them ₦15,000 (at our time) just for participating in this program.
Therefore, we only need to call the attention of students to make the best out of their SIWES. Students from the Faculty of Education should take their “Teaching Practice” seriously. They should go to a standard school where they can develop professional teaching skills, not just select a secondary school in their neighborhood because they don’t want anyone to “disturb” them. After learning about lesson note and lesson plan, Teaching Practice will give them an opportunity to do it practically as it is done in the teaching industry.
The law graduate should take his Nigerian Law School seriously. He should get a reputable law firm during his externship programme and appear in court to maximally learn what he needs to know. This takes him from simply memorizing acts, to practically using them in the law industry. The same goes for the medical graduate and his housemanship, as well as the pharmacy graduate and his internship. Come on, these things are part of our educational system. Graduates are simply not making the best use of these opportunities, and that’s why it’s easy for any pundit on Facebook to tell them degree certificates are no longer what should be sought after. Skills are the go-to area.
A degree is a comprehensive package of both academics and skills. In your pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, you will gain skills that will give you competitive advantage in your postgraduate life—whether you choose to go purely academic, or go to industry practice.
The degree will train you to think for yourself and determine what you should do with your life, rather than simply following the crowd. You will be able to critically evaluate yourself to understand what suits you better- going academic, or going the industry way, or even starting up a business.
Degree develops your mental agility to do all these things. This is why if you’re running a degree programme, I will tell you to take it seriously.
And very importantly, pray for Allah’s blessings in this. You will see wonders.
Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel writes from Zaria and can be reached via caleel2009@gmail.com.