Precious Oham
…as Stakeholders laud project
Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute, a leading public college in China and supported by Chinese government under the Belt and Road Initiative, has partnered with Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria to boost technical and vocational education.
According to the Consultant Shaanxi Polytechnic, Country Representative, Mr. Julius Ayodele, the collaboration of Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute with Polytechnics in Nigeria was approved by the Federal Ministry of Education through a letter conveyed to the Institute by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in February, 2021.
Ayodele said: “Some of the Polytechnics in Nigeria comprising Federal, State and Private have signed partnership agreement with Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute.
“The capacity development programmes that have been completed by Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute include the following: Shared Curriculum with Nigeria Polytechnics, Domestication of Curriculum, Curriculum Review, Online Workshops, Winter Camp with the focus on Chinese language and cultural awareness.
“Advisory and consultative work with Polytechnics on how to improve quality of their provision, Sharing training resources with some Nigeria Polytechnics,
Meeting with stakeholders online to discuss ideas and creative ways Chinese TVET institutions will be able to support Nigeria Polytechnics.”
Ayodele explained that Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute is helping to improve the quality of curriculum, saying that their support will help improve the capacities of the Polytechnics in Nigeria and provide employability skills which will help solve unemployment particularly among the youth.
Reacting, the Acting Rector of the First Irish Business School, Lagos, Dr. Louis Odubanjo, who participated in the signing of the partnership deal, and involved in the curriculum development as well as adaptation of some of the Shaanxi Polytechnic Programmes for Nigerians, stated that the curriculum development and adaptation for use in Nigeria by partner schools have been very successful but need to speed up.
The Educational Evaluation specialist said that, “as it stands now, the process awaits National Critique by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in Nigeria. The completion of the National Critique exercise is important to begin the use of that curriculum in Nigeria. The support for equipment and tools (both hardware and software) and manpower development are all essential.”
Similarly, the Rector, St.Winifred Innovation Institute, Dr. Andrews Jegede, opined that the contract with Shaanxi Polytechnic to domesticate curriculum for Nigerians was carried out successfully.
Jegede, said he was able to develop and domesticate the following curriculum of Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute; NID and HNID Networking and System Security, NID and HNID Digital Multimedia Technology, NID and HNID Welding and Fabrication Automation, NID and HNID Computer Software Engineering.
Also, the Dean, Research and Innovative, Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, Dr Grace Korter, who happens to be the contact person for the collaboration between the Institution and Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute, said the Federal Polytechnic Offa, Nigeria, is in collaboration with Shaanxi Polytechnic Institute in the following areas: Curricula Cooperation, Student Internship in China, Education Officials and School Leaders Visit to China.
To scale up Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic and Computer Engineering Technology Departments according to Dr. Korter, the Polytechnic also entered into collaboration with the Institute. Adding that a new department, Urban Rail Engineering Technology Department will be established in due course.