As part of renewed efforts to grow Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the Nigerian school curricula, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced consultations with the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and other relevant Agencies.
The new move according to NITDA will among other things incorporate courses on information and communication technologies.
The idea is coming as a base to deepen the Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT 5) National Implementation Committee programmes recently inaugurated in Abuja to push for the curriculum review.
Members of the committee were drawn from various MDAs comprising of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National University Commission (NUC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
The key target of the review is to domesticate knowledge-based economy and local content development (LCD) from the childhood via school learning.
Some of the strategic plans is to incorporate the ‘internet’ as a discipline for the deepening of the nation’s cyber defense experts and technology entrepreneurs who will lead the local content drives.
In keeping with the drive, Director General of NITDA, Dr. Isa Pantami, had been meeting with stakeholders in the ICT industry to harmonize content of the emerging curricula.
Already, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has also demonstrated that ‘The Internet’ deserves special course status in universities. The team at ICANN Learn and George Washington University recently created an in-depth look at the current state of digital trade in a free course titled “Digital Trade and Global Internet Governance.”
Adding his voice in an interview, Dr. Chris Nwannenna, member of NiRA Board said that the technology trends across the globe support the plea for a review of nation’s school curriculum as the Internet ought to be a discipline in tertiary institutions as showcased by ICANN’s moves.
He said “I don’t think there is something stopping us from doing that. It only demands we introduce the programme. I know that organization like NiRA through NITDA, NUC and other stakeholders can make it happen. It is not an impossible thing. You don’t need to have people with PhD. Internet Studies before the discipline can be taught in schools. At the advent of Computer Science studies, most of the tutors came by ‘chance’- from physics, Mathematics, but they had the experience.
“So, there is nothing wrong in introducing the course. It can start as an elative in the Computer Sciences department until it attains special status or we can start from the Diploma level. That is what I will suggest,” Dr. Nwannenna said.
Business Hilights recalls that some states had already started establishing smart schools as part of states efforts to domesticate inclusion of ICT in schools development.
