Education
Institutionalise Indigenous Technology, Educationist Tells FG
An Educationist, Profes
sor Lawrence E.B. Igwe, has called upon the federal government to institutionalise the country’s numerous indigenous technologies as a means of enhancing its development.
Professor Igwe, who made the call recently in an exclusive interview with The Tide noted that institutions in Nigeria are surrounded by various indigenous technologies which have been allowed to go extinct.
Such technologies that have gone extinct include the one used to produce the famous indigenous bomb called ‘Ogbumuigwe’, which was used during the Nigeria Civil War by Biafran soliders, Professor Igwe identified it types of technologies, such as indigenous, transferred, appropriate construction, entertainment, and business technologies.
Others are educational, information, assistive, instructional, medical, productivity and teaching technologies.
While noting the objectives of vocational and technical education as contained in the national policy on education, as revised in 2013, the professor of education also stated its Nigerian version.
According to him, “the primary objective of all technical and vocational education and training programmes is the acquisition of relevant knowledge, practical skills and attitudes for gainful employment.
Other objectives in the Nigerian context, he said, are to link training to employment to develop Nigerian Technical and Vocational Education as a vehicle for rapid industralisation, as well-economic empowerment and social liability of the individual.
It also include inculcation of shared cultural values and attitude development and the dual system which promotes the linkage of vocational education to the words of work.
Towards achieving effective vocational and technical education, therefore, Professor Igwe urged management of polytechnics to take the first step.
He charged them to “appropriately create the desired collaborative synergy to tap on indigenous technologies of their host communities.
However, Rector of the Rivers State Polytechnic Bori, Sir Obiankwo Nwolu-Elechi told The Tide that there are some indigenous technologies invented by students of the institution, but have not been publicise of because it was awaiting standard approval.
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Cross section of parents during 2014 graduation cermeony of Bloombreed High School in Port Harcourt.
Photo: Nwiueh Ken
Sogbeba Dokubo
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