FG Reviews Curriculum for Nomadic Education in Nigeria

The Federal Government is reviewing the curriculum guide for the education of Pastoralists, Migrants, Fishermen and Farmers in Four subject areas to include History, Islamic Region Studies, Christian Religious Studies and National Values.

This is part of the activities in a Stakeholders workshop organized by the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) in Abuja. The Commission mandated education experts to use the workshop to review the adopted curriculum guide in four subject areas for the education of the Nomadic, Pasteurized and Migrant fishermen.

At the commencement of the five day workshop, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Nomadic Education, Professor Bashir Usman said when the curriculum is fully adopted it will help address some herders – farmers related social vices in the country.

Earlier in June this year, the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) held another workshop to review the curriculum guide for the education of Pastoralists, Migrants, Fishermen and Farmers to include History, Islamic Region Studies, Christian Religious Studies and National Values.

Theses subject areas where considered relevant towards inculcating in the minds of such children and youths the sense of patriotism, moral values, selflessness and hard work as a panacea for the numerous challenges affecting National life.

The Executive Secretary of NCNE Professor Bashir Usman said the effectiveness of the program require continues improvement, explaining that having reviewed and adopted the guidelines for the selected subjects it was imperative to change the curriculum.

“The curriculum has to change and has to be taught so that we can inculcate these into their minds so as to see this country to greater height.”

The chairman Governing Council, National Commission for Nomadic Education, Professor Gidado Tahir expressed optimism that the workshop will further upgrade the Nomadic Education to the standards of conventional schools.

“As we go through these processes we are providing some kind of level playing ground for the children of the Nomads.”

The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Commission, Dr. Rose Nwaji appealed to the experts to look inwardly into the draft to come up with viable document that the country would benefit from the potential drive in educating the nomads.

“We hope that they will put in their best to give us their expertise, it is not that we are going to change their life style but to modify some primitive aspect of their lifestyle”

The Professor with the Institute of Education, Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ileife, Babatunde Adeyemi who spoke on behalf of other resource persons promised that they will deliver on the mandate given to them to achieve the objective of the program

The Federal Government established the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) in 1989, charged with the responsibility of implementing the Nomadic Education Programme (NEP) which is aimed at providing and widening access to quality basic education for nomads in Nigeria, boosting literacy and equipping them with skills and competences to enhance their well-being and participation in the nation-building process.

To meet this challenge effectively, the Commission devised a series of innovative approaches and strategies among which is the inclusion of History, Islamic Region Studies, Christian Religious Studies and National Values as basic subjects in their education.