Insight Into Agricultural Education in Nigeria: a Scoping Study to Identify Potential Areas of NL Support
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Insight into agricultural education in Nigeria: a scoping study to identify potential areas of NL support Commissioned by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency Insight into agricultural education in Nigeria: a scoping study to identify potential areas of NL support by Richard Hawkins and Olajide Sobukola June 2020 Contents Contents ................................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. iii Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................. iv Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ viii Context .............................................................................................................................................. viii The Nigerian Agricultural Innovation System ...................................................................................... viii Opportunities for Dutch Support .......................................................................................................... ix 1. Context and Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 1 Nigeria and Nigerian agriculture............................................................................................................ 1 Netherlands support to Nigeria Agricultural Development .................................................................... 2 Objectives of this study ......................................................................................................................... 3 Methodological Approach ..................................................................................................................... 3 2. The Education System in Nigeria .......................................................................................................... 5 Overview of the Nigerian education system .......................................................................................... 5 3. Nigerian Agricultural Innovation System............................................................................................. 10 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................................... 10 Knowledge Organizations.................................................................................................................... 10 Bridging Institutions and informal training .......................................................................................... 13 Business and Enterprise (Private Sector) ............................................................................................. 20 Enabling Environment ......................................................................................................................... 23 4. Current skills development in the Horticulture Sector ........................................................................ 24 Degree programmes ........................................................................................................................... 24 ND/HND programmes ......................................................................................................................... 27 Short-term training (non-accredited) .................................................................................................. 30 Curricula development and accreditation............................................................................................ 31 5. Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................................................... 32 The Nigerian AKIS................................................................................................................................ 32 System-wide improvements ................................................................................................................ 35 Opportunities for Netherlands support ............................................................................................... 39 Key Entry Points for support to HE in Horticulture ............................................................................... 42 Appendix 1 - Terms of Reference ........................................................................................................ 44 Appendix 2 – Workplan ....................................................................................................................... 51 Appendix 3 - Stakeholders interviewed ............................................................................................... 55 Appendix 4 - Agricultural Higher Education Organizations in Nigeria .................................................. 56 Appendix 5 - Outline of BMAS for B. Agriculture .................................................................................. 67 Appendix 6 - List of NBTE accredited agricultural programmes ............................................................ 72 Appendix 7 - ND Horticultural Technology Curriculum and Course Specifications ................................ 73 ii Acknowledgements This study was carried out during October 2019 – March 2020 by iCRA, based in the Netherlands, and a small team from The Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE) of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in Nigeria. As well as the 2 principal authors, the inputs of other colleagues from iCRA and CEADESE are acknowledged here. In particular, the authors would like to thank Gieljan Beijen, formerly of iCRA, for his efforts to develop the initial study and terms of reference, and Dr Gbenga Idowu, iCRA Representative in Nigeria, for his support in liaising with EKN officials in Nigeria, organizing the Nigerian visit itinerary, interviewing stakeholders in Ibadan, Abuja, and Lagos, and contributing valuable comments on the final report. Colleagues from CEASESE, Dr Adebukola Omirdiran, Dr Razaq Adebowale and Prof Lateef Sanni, were also instrumental in collecting and collating information used in this report, both through the desk study, and also during stakeholder interviews in in Kano and Kaduna. Mostly, we would like to thank all those interested persons, both in the Netherlands and in Nigeria, who freely gave their time to share their knowledge and perspectives on agricultural education and related activities in Nigeria. Many of these are listed in Appendix 3, but it proved impossible to capture all the names of persons who participated in interviews or shared comments at various times. Finally, we would also like to thank Abel Neering, formerly of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) in the Hague, and latterly Vice Consul for Economic Affairs at EKN Lagos; Bram Wits, Netherlands Agricultural Counsellor in West Africa; and Brian Udoh, Food Security Officer at EKN Lagos for their interest, financial and logistical support and comments on workplans and progress reports at various stages of the study. Of course, any factual errors, as well as responsibility for all opinions in this report, remain with the authors. Richard Hawkins (iCRA) Olajide Sobukola (CEADESE) iii Acronyms 2SCALE Toward Sustainable Agribusiness Clusters through Learning in Entrepreneurship (Netherlands-funded, Africa-wide Project) ABCOA Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta ABP Anchor Borrowers Programme ABU Ahmadu Bello University ACDI-VOCA Global Development NGO ADP Agricultural Development Programme (State Level) AET Agricultural Education and Training AFC Agriculture and Finance Consultants AFSTA Africa Seed Trade Association AGRA Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa AGSMEIS Agri-Business Small, and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme AKIS Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System AMEA Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance ANBC Advanced National Business Certificate ANTC Advanced National Technical Certificate APPEALS Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project ARCN Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria ARI Agricultural Research Institute ARMTI Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute ASTI Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators ATA Agricultural Transformation Agenda AVBC Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium B. Agric Bachelor of Agriculture (degree) BEC Basic Education Certificate BMAS Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards BMGF Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation BUK Bayero University, Kano CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme CBA Community-Based Advisory Services CBET Competency-Based Education and Training CBO Community Based Organization CEADESE Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment, FUNAAB COLEACP Liaison Committee Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific (Non-profit Association of Companies and Experts in fruit and vegetable trade) DAC Division of Agricultural Colleges, Kaduna (also now Kano) DFID Department for International Development (UK) iv DLEC Developing Local Extension Capacity Project EAS Extension and Advisory Services EKN Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of