From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

Enugu State governor, Dr. Peter Mbah has called for a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s current education model, saying it cannot deliver the much-needed speedy development and economic transformation.

Mbah therefore, advocated for a shift from rote or memorisation to experiential learning, which he described as the missing link between education, industrialisation and GDP growth.

He stated this on Tuesday while delivering the 1st Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Distinguished Personalities Lecture Series entitled “Experiential Learning: Building the Wealth of the Nation.

“Why do Nigerian universities seldom feature on the global ranking list of world’s best universities? Why have they seemed perennially unable to become the ideas factory which universities ought to be? Why are our universities not producing inventive graduates?

“The answers to these questions lie in many inconvenient truths, amongst which is the fact that the learning in our schools, from basic to tertiary, has for years not imbued our young people with productive skills and competencies.

He noted that knowledge has always been the prime lever for progress throughout human history, the reason he said nations like the US, China, Germany, and Netherlands, which invest the most in building a qualitative and experiential education ecosystem are the world’s leading economies – United States of America.

Mbah, who is currently building 260 Smart Green Schools to power experiential learning in the 260 wards of Enugu State, stressed that by embedding the model from the basic to tertiary levels of education, Enugu was creating a seamless pipeline where students progress from foundational learning to practical innovation.

He also directed all state-owned tertiary institutions to deliver experiential learning going forward.

“So, we hereby announce as a policy that all state-owned tertiary institutions in Enugu State must henceforth deliver Experiential Learning to our children. We want to see this change reflected in planning, budget, curriculum reform, assessment and promotions, as well as research.

“Experiential learning ensures that education is deeply connected to the challenges and opportunities of the real world.

“It fosters critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. It empowers students to see themselves not as passive learners, but as active problem-solvers,” he said.

Justifying his administration’s allocation of 33 per cent of the state’s budget to the education sector, Mbah regretted that whereas governments could be sacked in developed nations for a slight drop in standard in either of the sectors, most leaders spend more on physical infrastructure like roads, which yield immediate results and acclaim.

“Instructively, the most impactful policies are not necessarily those that create the biggest buzz. But they offer the clearest indices of human development.

“Nothing transforms lives and paves a path to a promising future like quality education. It is the reason why one-third of Enugu State’s total annual budget went into funding education.

“This translates to roughly twice UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15 per cent – 20 per cent. What this means is that for every N100 Naira spent, N33 goes to the education budget.

“This funding has enabled us to implement both infrastructural and pedagogical overhaul of our education system.

“Our will has enabled us to begin a transition from a system where pupils seemed, to all intents and purposes, to be merely going through the motions of learning, to an ecosystem of experiential learning.

“Through our Smart Green Schools, we have introduced the ‘cut-off point’, whereby we target children from age three, and begin to inculcate in them social habits, health habits, fine motor skills, and problem-solving competencies, introducing them to an experiential education system that helps them to navigate our rapidly evolving technological knowledge-driven world.

“After three years of Early Childhood Education, having completed Nursery 1-3, our children complete Basic 1-9. During their twelve-year academic study in the Enugu Smart Green Schools, our children learn with interactive digital whiteboards, tablets, and computers; they are immersed in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual/Augmented Reality, and Internet of Things, among others.

“Upon graduating from the Smart Green Schools, about one-quarter of our children will proceed to Technical and Vocational Schools focusing on key competencies like Industrial and Information Technology, Building and Fabrication Engineering, as well as Industrial Agriculture, with the objective to become respected and skilled professionals, highly valued for their expertise.”

He said his administration was already constructing eight Science, Technical, and Vocational (STV) schools across Enugu State, starting from the Government Technical College (GTC), Enugu.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Alloysius-Michael Okolie; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of ESUT Governing Council, Sir Chinyeaka Oha and chairman of the public lecture, Prof. Obiora Ike, commended Mbah for his huge investments in the education sector and the transformational leadership cutting across all sectors.

Also, the governor, during the visit, commissioned the Dr. Peter Mbah Multipurpose Auditorium, named after him by ESUT leadership, in appreciation of his immense impacts and contributions to the repositioning of the institution in a short time.