Enugu State Government has announced a new policy directing all state-owned tertiary institutions to adopt experiential learning models in their planning, curriculum, and research efforts.
Delivering a lecture with the theme ‘Experiential Learning: Building the Wealth of the Nation’ at the 1st Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Distinguished Personalities Lecture Series, the Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah said addressing the nation’s educational model is a critical issue for the development.
“Nigeria’s current education system focused on rote memorization has hindered our progress, failing to equip students with the skills and competencies required for industrialization and economic transformation.”
“Education, after all, is not just about passing exams, it’s about preparing our youth for a rapidly evolving, technology-driven world. The transformation of our education system is not just a necessity; it is the foundation upon which we will build a prosperous and self-reliant nation.”
“By prioritizing experiential learning and investing in modern, skill-oriented education, we are equipping our youths to lead the change towards a future defined by innovation, industrialization, and sustainable development,” Dr. Peter Mbah said.
“Why do Nigerian universities seldom feature on the global ranking list of the world’s best universities? Why have they seemed perennially unable to become the ideas factory that universities ought to be? Why are our universities not producing inventive graduates?
“The answers to these questions lie in many inconvenient truths, amongst which is the fact that the learning in our schools, from basic to tertiary, has for years not imbued our young people with productive skills and competencies. This is the root cause of our underdevelopment,” he said.
He noted that knowledge has always been the prime lever for progress throughout human history, the reason he said nations like the US, China, Germany, and the Netherlands, which invest the most in building a qualitative and experiential education ecosystem are the world’s leading economies – United States of America.
Mbah, who is currently building 260 Smart Green Schools to power experiential learning in the 260 wards of Enugu State, stressed that by embedding the model from the basic to tertiary levels of education, Enugu was creating a seamless pipeline where students progress from foundational learning to practical innovation. He also directed all state-owned tertiary institutions to deliver experiential learning going forward.
“So, we hereby announce as a policy that all state-owned tertiary institutions in Enugu State must henceforth deliver Experiential Learning to our children. We want to see this change reflected in planning, budgeting, curriculum reform, assessment, and promotions, as well as research.
“Experiential learning ensures that education is deeply connected to the challenges and opportunities of the real world. “It fosters critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. It empowers students to see themselves not as passive learners, but as active problem-solvers,” he said.
Justifying his administration’s allocation of 33 percent of the state’s budget to the education sector, Mbah regretted that whereas governments could be sacked in developed nations for a slight drop in standard in either of the sectors, most leaders spend more on physical infrastructure like roads, which yield immediate results and acclaim.
“Instructively, the most impactful policies are not necessarily those that create the biggest buzz. But they offer the clearest indices of human development. “Nothing transforms lives and paves a path to a promising future like quality education. This is the reason why one-third of Enugu State’s total annual budget is spent on funding education. “This translates to roughly twice UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15 percent – 20 percent. What this means is that for every N100 Naira spent, N33 goes to the education budget. “This funding has enabled us to implement infrastructural and pedagogical overhauls of our education system. “Our will has enabled us to begin a transition from a system where pupils seemed to be merely going through the motions of learning, to an ecosystem of experiential learning.
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