UNIVERSITYINDUSTRYGOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS TOWARDS ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

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UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY-GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS
TOWARDS ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN NIGERIA
BY PROFESSOR JULIUS A. OKOJIE Executive
Secretary National Universities Commission,
Abuja Paper presented at the Engineering
Africa Conference on March 4-6, 2007at the
Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
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Introduction Quality Assurance in Higher
Education deserves utmost attention No nation
can develop beyond the quality of its higher
education
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Introduction Contd Once Upon a time Nigerian
Universities once rubbed shoulders with the best
in the world High quality expatriate academics
had once desired to be in the scholarly
environment provided by Nigerian
universities Foreign universities were once
eager to forge collaborative links with lecturers
in Nigerian universities Nigerian students once
had no problem getting placements abroad for
graduate studies Nigerian universities would
have ranked amongst the first 100 in the world if
there was ranking in those days.
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Introduction Contd How did we get to where we
are today? .We went to sleep while those we
were rubbing shoulders with continued to work and
before were realized what was happening the gap
created seemed impossible to bridge.
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ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN NIGERIA HOW IT BEGAN
Yaba Higher College 1940s
Zaria campus (University College Ibadan) 1955
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 1962
University of Nigeria, Nsukka 1960
University of Lagos 1964
Obafemi Awolowo University (1970), and
University of Benin 1971
University of Ibadan 1972
There are 35 Engineering Faculties across
Nigerian Universities
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ENGINEERING EDUCATION Overall objective . is
the production of engineering graduates capable
of operating in both the public and private
sectors of the economy, with the ability to
initiate and implement engineering designs,
engage in industrial management and also have the
capability to conduct research and development.
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• ENGINEERING EDUCATION
• specific objectives
• Provide a learning environment that leads to
  the production of high calibre manpower in the
  area of engineering and technology
• Carry out relevant research in engineering and
  technology for the total advancement of our
  society and to render such other services to
  the community as may be relevant from time to
  time
• Train engineers capable of meeting the
  challenges of the sustained technological
  development of Nigeria

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• ENGINEERING EDUCATION
• Specific Objectives Contd
• Provide educational training and skills
  necessary for understanding, planning,
  designing, operating and maintaining the
  various processes and systems involved in
  modern technology
• Provide opportunity for personal maturity and
  intellectual growth, for the attainment of
  professional competence and for the
  development of social responsibility

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• ENGINEERING EDUCATION
• Specific Objectives Contd
• Provide skilled engineering manpower which is
  regarded as a principal factor for economic
  development and the prosperity of any nation
  and
• Establish universities of technology as a direct
  response to the needs of Nigeria for skills
  innovative and technologically oriented
  manpower resources for the development of the
  technological base of our economy.

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SO FAR

• Positive Impact of Nigerias Specialized
  Universities of Science and Technology
• In 25 years, produced over 210,000 graduates in
  sciences, engineering and technology.
• Graduates of Nigerias universities of Science
  and Technology are currently offering services in
  the manufacturing, oil and gas, agriculture,
  mining and other ST-related sectors of the local
  (Nigeria) and world economies.

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SO FAR contd.

• Activities contributing to national and global
  ST development through research are copiously
  cited in scholarly journals as contributing to
  solving national and global problems relating
  to science and technology.
• Staff and students of the universities have
  won several national and international awards
  in science and technology.

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Areas of Poor Performance

• In recent times, graduates of universities of
  technology are poorly skilled and are not
  globally competitive.
• Little significant contribution by way of quality
  human resource provision and research to emerging
  areas of national development e.g. agriculture,
  oil and gas, telecommunications, energy and space
  programmes.
• Diversion away from main mandate to engagement in
  non-ST courses.

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Areas of Poor Performance contd.

• Failed to assume leadership position in driving
  the nations ST agenda.
• The impact of the universities on the expansion
  of the frontiers of knowledge in science and
  technology through research has been very
  limited.

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Areas for Greater Impact

• Training of highly-skilled graduates for the oil
  and gas sector, telecommunications industry, etc
• e.g. mobile technology mining especially of
  solid minerals Nigerias space technology
  programme agriculture electricity generation
  and distribution, etc

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Areas for Greater Impact contd.

• Conduct of research into local and global
  problems seeking science, engineering and
  technology solutions especially in the areas of
  the environment, space, local content for the oil
  and gas industry.
• Production of entrepreneurial graduates that will
  create jobs thereby contributing to the poverty
  reduction agenda of NEEDS.

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UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY-GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP
University
products
products
F u n d
Industry
Government
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UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY-GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP CONTD
Govt.
Ind.
Univ.
Information flow
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• ROLES IN THE PARTNERSHIP
• GOVERNMENT
• Makes available the operational framework that
  will guide the universities and the industries
  generally in the realization of their mandates
  and expectations to the people.
• Provides the enabling infrastructure like power,
  water and good roads to facilitate the
  operations of the university and the industry.
• Ensures adequate funding for the universities
  established by it so that they can fulfill their
  obligations effectively without stress.
• Develops a research agenda to ensure a
  systematic and focused research for national
  development.

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• ROLES IN THE PARTNERSHIP CONTD
• INDUSTRY
• Assist government in providing social
  infrastructural within the universities.
• Commission and fund specific research projects
  in Nigerian Universities to enhance the
  development of their products and services
• Partner with Universities for graduate
  retraining and quality enhancement
• Allow academics into the industry for knowledge
  exchange - for specific projects
• Involve in voluntary corporate fund-raising to
  support research and development and
  appreciation of long gestation period

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• ROLES IN THE PARTNERSHIP CONTD
• UNIVERSITIES
• Focus on demand-driven research and development
  to attract patronage by the industry and
  government
• Ensure Capacity building programmes to further
  scholarship and relevance in the economy
• Collaborate in manpower planning with inputs
  from the industry in curriculum reviews
• Develop expertise and alliances in specific
  areas, through collaboration with other
  institutions

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• ADVANTAGES OF THE PARTNERSHIP
• Multi-faceted synergy of access to expertise,
  working culture, funding and industry knowledge
  
• Proven means of driving technological
  innovation, economic growth and industrial
  development
• Available government grants for Research and
  Development can be channeled mainly to
  basic/developmental research

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• ADVANTAGES OF THE PARTNERSHIP CONTD
• Outsourcing Research and Development to
  Universities reduces overheads and thus makes
  the industry partner more competitive.
• There is a benefit of an integrated and
  directional guide to Research and Development
  efforts by the government and industry partners.
• Students develop leadership and team skills
  they benefit from real-life experiences not
  available in the classroom.

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CONCLUSION no system is an island.
Government cannot function optimally and
effectively without the entire sector of the
economy functioning in like manner.
Universities will not thrive with government
being their sole or major partner. A university
does well when it is guaranteed of both
government and private sector partnership. The
industry cannot have the manpower needed to
actualize its focus without the university and
government playing their roles effectively.
Breaking new grounds in production is a function
of focused and qualitative research which is the
hallmark of a universitys existence.
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CONCLUSION CONTD If University-Industry-Governm
ent partnership is greased, and enhanced,
engineering education will be the better for it.
We have a duty to our universities, industries
and country consequently all hands must be on
deck to forge a strong university-industry-governm
ent partnership for a highly qualitative
engineering education.
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I thank you for your attention