The federal government may be considering a mandatory extra year of studies for Nigerian students before entering the labour market.
Anthony Anwukah, minister of state for education, made this known at a two-day retreat for governing councils of federal universities in Abuja on Tuesday.
The proposition came on the basis that higher institutions are not producing graduates qualified enough to be employed.
Themed ‘Elements of Statutory Governance, Procurement and Financial Accounting in Nigerian Universities’, the retreat aimed to address the challenges of the education sector.
“Law students attend Law School for one year before going for NYSC and medical students go for one year Housemanship before they are allowed to practice fully, so it will be necessary for other courses to also go through this process,” Daily Trust quoted Anwukah as saying.
“The Lagos Business School can also serve as a one-year after-school training.
“The universities are producing products that are not matching the needs of the industries. I urged the committee of pro-chancellors and committee of vice-chancellor to end the decline in the standard of education.”
Anwukah said the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) to give students experience that would supplement their theoretical learning has failed. He said the project was “not working”.
