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Don urges varsities to develop wealth creation curricula

By Abiodun Fagbemi, Ilorin
28 August 2018   |   3:00 am
Professor Toyin Falola has called on Nigerian universities to develop curricula on wealth creation rather than “poverty reduction”, if they must remain relevant in global education. Delivering the third Humanities Lecture of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, on Sunday, the don asserted that the current curricula were designed for the economic benefit of the colonial…

Professor Toyin Falola has called on Nigerian universities to develop curricula on wealth creation rather than “poverty reduction”, if they must remain relevant in global education.

Delivering the third Humanities Lecture of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, on Sunday, the don asserted that the current curricula were designed for the economic benefit of the colonial masters.

According to Falola, who teaches Humanities at the University of Texas, Austin, United States, there must be a holistic review of the nation’s university education to conform to new realities.

“The colonial African education system was created to pacify the people and spread Christianity.

“To increase individual involvement with education, community and political support, educational institutions must include policies and content that are more applicable to the community,” he added.

The lecture drew audience from both the town and the gown to the Convocation Hall of KWASU, including literary giants: Professors Femi Osofisan and Olu Obafemi.

Falola, who holds Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at University of Texas, said universities the world over now concentrate on building robust policies encapsulated under ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

He therefore urged the management, staff and students of KWASU to start a revolution that would fast-track the paradigm shift from colonial curricula to “fourth Industrial Revolution Global Economy”, as internal thinking has also shifted.

“Syllabuses must be designed to conform to our socio-political and economic relevance.

Nigerian universities must conform to the fourth revolution thing or be phased out,” he added.

On the ‘Robotic Revolution’ where robots have successfully replaced human labours in areas like driving and radiography, Falola warned of imminent massive job losses and canvassed that committees should be set up to design appropriate curricula for Nigerian universities.

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