The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has partnered with Cisco Academy to launch a major training program for over 500 computer science lecturers. This training aims to equip them with the skills needed to teach the newly developed Higher National Diploma (HND) programs. These new programs were created after the traditional HND Computer Science curriculum was divided into specialized areas that better fit the needs of today’s digital world.
The program was launched online through the Cisco Webex platform, bringing together lecturers from 113 institutions across Nigeria. Aliyu Hassan Imafidor, the general manager of the NBTE Centre of Excellence for TVET, emphasized the importance of this training. He pointed out that it is essential for empowering lecturers to effectively teach the new HND courses, which include areas like Cyber Security, Data Protection, Networking, Cloud Computing, Software, and Web Development. Imafidor encouraged participants to fully engage in the training, as the skills they gain will greatly improve their teaching abilities and help implement the new curricula successfully.
Idris Muhammad Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, officially opened the workshop, stating that this program is not just about building capacity but is also a key part of a larger effort to update the TVET curricula. Bugaje stressed that the goal is to ensure graduates are well-prepared to meet the needs of modern industries. He also announced that Cisco will offer an upcoming training session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which will prepare lecturers to teach the new HND AI curriculum. Participation in these training sessions will be required for the resource inspection and accreditation of the new HND programs, ensuring that institutions can offer education that meets global standards.
Imoh Akpan, the project manager of Cisco Academy, noted that more than 20 million learners worldwide have taken courses through the Cisco Networking Academy, including over 540,000 students in Nigeria, with 40 percent of them being women. He encouraged Nigerian lecturers to continue building their technical skills and staying updated with industry trends to remain relevant in the fast-changing field of computer science.
The training, led by the University of Jos Cisco Academy, is expected to greatly improve the quality of computer science education in Nigeria, aligning it with global trends and industry needs. Key stakeholders have highlighted the importance of this training in raising the quality of education in Nigeria’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
