Technical education vital to national development - NABTEB boss

updated: Thursday 12-06-2008

Professor David AwanborProfessor David Awanbor is the Registrar/Chief Executive, National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB). Awanbor, in this interview with UCHECHUKWU OLISAH, speaks, among others, on the prime place of NABTEB certificates as well as Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) as the master key to Nigeria ’s development.

You have spoken so much about Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) both in Nigeria and internationally. Why is TVE necessary in Nigeria at this point in the nation’s development?
It is an open knowledge that Nigeria is a developing country. And if we must reach the peak, if we must get to the top like every other country, we must tread their path. And one of the paths they also passed through is to pay attention to Technical and Vocational Education because these are the tool workers, they are the people who are directly in construction, they are the people who are directly in maintenance.

Many people seem not to be aware of the status of TVE in Nigeria, particularly before and since your assumption of office as Registrar/Chief Executive of NABTEB. What is the present status of TVE in Nigeria?
It is still emerging and we are delighted to tell you that government is giving it some attention. Like Oliver Twist, we will wish more attention at any point in time. But I must confess to you that the government is doing everything possible to encourage TVE because it is fully aware of the need for this sector to be developed. There are a lot of things going on.

I know very well that government is interested and they are doing a lot to encourage TVE. Schools are growing up, technical colleges are coming, and government is interested in all these. There are innovations coming up in the Federal Ministry of Education, what we call the IEIs and the TELs. These are institutions that are specific in the sense that they address issues that are designed to meet market needs, people get trained and they get absorbed directly into the market. I think that is what we need to do; government is paying attention to that also.

What are you doing or would suggest as the way forward in advancing TVE beyond what it is today in Nigeria?
As I told you earlier, we are always asking for more funding. When you say more funding, it is not money to be wasted but money that is spent for a given purpose and with the purpose achieved. Because there are a lot of wastages in most of the things that we do, therefore, the much government is doing is quite encouraging. But sometimes when you put in so much and you have very little coming, that can be discouraging also.

So, having said that we also need to do a lot of popularization, let people know that TVE is not a profession for the less able, it is not a vocation for the less able, it  is not outlets for those who are  not going to explore themselves and discover  themselves. If you get into Technical and Vocational Education you are only expressing your innate ability; that does not make you cheap.

Therefore, let us not begin to think that only doctors can contribute to the society, engineers also can. and to become an engineer you start from the very basic level of artisan, technician, and technologist before you become an engineer and a professional. These are roads for development and therefore, if we let people know that these roads and these paths are there, then they will follow. In other words, let us popularize it; let us give honour to who honour is due. That you work with your hand doesn’t mean you have no brain because it is your brain that effects the use of your hand, so this is what the society must recognize.    

Before your assumption of office as Registrar and Chief Executive of the Board, NABTEB certificates were rejected by many tertiary institutions in Nigeria, particularly Nigerian universities. That appears not to be the case now. What exactly did you do to get these certificates accepted?
When I came on board, we thought we needed to break the jinx that NABTEB certificates are useless, or that they are certificates you have but are dormant. I think my perception of the certificates was that these were very useful certificates which the society didn’t quite know the value .

I embarked on a mission to let people know that when you have a trade certificate you are not in a cul de sac, you are not in a dead-ended road. You are like a child who has WAEC, GCE, SSCE, NECO and therefore, I felt there was a need to educate the society. And therefore, I moved from university to university across the country and also did a lot of advertisement to let people know the value of NABTEB certificates. We thank God, the university is the Ivory Tower, it is the home of knowledge. they knew what we were talking about and they have all accepted our certificates.

And so, children who have NBC/NTC can now enter the university and pursue different courses in technology,Engineering, business, name it. but this is not to say that a child who has NBC/NTC should want to go and read medicine. No, we are not advocating the impossible. Not that it is impossible really; we don’t want to advocate the absurd. You have an NBC, it trains you for business, it sets you for business; you have a technical certificate, it sets you for engineering and professional certificates. So, these paths are very clear. For anybody to attempt to muddle them up or try to cut short corners might run into some problems.

Enrolment figures for NABTEB examinations are on the rise. What are the factors causing the rise?
The rise in enrolment is as a result of the support we are getting from government and the society. Like we just talked about, the certificate is now accepted for a number of things; for admissions into universities, tertiary institutions, Colleges of Education, polytechnics and so forth. Therefore, that opens the vista, it opens the opportunities and people now find NABTEB certificate as that which opens the doors.

And therefore, when you have it, you have the opportunity to explore ahead of you. Another thing is that the society itself has discovered that children with NABTEB certificates are doing well.  Those in employment are doing well, those who are self-employed and are certified are also doing well, they have better clientele. We have also tried to pursue some aggressive advertising and it is letting people know what NABTEB certificate is all about.

As a mater of fact, I have a  dream of getting a minimum of 10 billboards located in strategic positions in the country we just want to have an humble beginning, telling people that NABTEB certificate opens the  door, it is an opportunity, so, why don’t you have it. We know that Nigeria today is in need of development. And so, these are the people who can do it. Our enrolment is small; therefore, our income is small. But thank God it is rising.

There have been reports of leakages of examination question papers and other forms of malpractices involving some sister bodies. But that appears not to be the case with NABTEB. How did you achieve not being part of these examination malpractice reports?
We thank God and we thank the government for the enabling support we are receiving. The truth is simply that we have zero tolerance for examination malpractices. So, everybody in NABTEB is aware that you can commit other minor offences and we discipline you. But when it is examination malpractice, you have had it, it is not negotiable, the rules are there and we follow it to the letter. Another thing why our examination has been managed somehow successfully all this while is that, NABTEB is a small body, therefore, we are able to control it. We see every candidate that writes NABTEB exam while you are doing it. This is not gaining-saying, because the number is small; therefore, we have good control. 

our production system is very carefully managed. I don’t want to tell you about it because it is our secret. It is the recipe that we are using that is working. And you find that we have dedicated staff. Very often I call my staff together and give them incentive, we thank them for the good job they are doing. And those who do what we do not want them to do are punished.

Perhaps a third reason is the kind of people who want a do or die certificate. You know NABTEB certificate is needed by people who want to give a reality approach   to life . if you are an auto mechanic, nobody can steal your skill from you.therefore, there will be less issues of impersonation because if you are a mechanic you are not going to call Mr. A. to come and assemble an engine for you or service an engine for you. Therefore the issue of impersonation is ruled out. Some exam malpractices are minor, although there is no room for them in NABTEB.

Recently, you were reported to have visited the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police in charge of Zone 5 here in Benin City. What connection is there between NABTEB and the police which necessitated such visit?
As a body that is concerned with public service, national service and in particular conducting examination, is a very risky job because some of the decisions we take are very unpleasant to people. You catch a child in the examination hall, when you get back you discipline that child and then you move about freely in the society, God help you. Even when I was a lecturer in the university, I know how risky it was to invigilate examinations. 

I thank God even when I was Dean and Head of Department, I was able to escape all those things by the grace of God. But here you are serving the entire country, and so the risk base is wider and more intense and so we visited them to solicit their support. Some of them we didn’t get anyway, but they readily promised us something.

Specifically, Sir, what is the nature of support you requested?
To be involved in the conduct of our examinations, to help us make sure that things work out smoothly. And ordinarily, one would not ask for an orderly but conducting a job like this is very risky. I asked for one but was denied. We have made appropriate requests to the appropriate authority. We want to believe that in their wisdom they will assist us. 

I know it is a luxury, people might call it a luxury in quote, but really we need it. I am physically fit. I can do a lot of things by myself but you need that extra support because of the risk involved. We have heard of people who have had acid bath. Recently, the Registrar of JAMB was talking about people coming into examination halls with dagger, guns and things like that.these are real. I cannot be so foolish as to expose my life to that kind of thing, without taking some elementary precaution. But in any case, we were denied. As I said, God is in control. It is God that protects everybody. But all the same that cannot deter us from doing our jobs; we will continue to do our jobs.

Sometime ago, you introduced Modular Trade Certificate Examinations.  How useful are these certificates and what are you doing to popularize them?
The modular certificate is a stop-gap certificate. For those little boys who are by the roadside, they have this skill but there is no way of proving to the world that they have it. Therefore, NABTEB certificate is a certificate that is validated by government in terms of recognition. And therefore, we felt we have a duty to let these children be assessed, evaluated and get certified.  You find that a lot of vulcanizers, people who go to computer schools; International school or the other and the certificate is not even room-valid.

But when we go there and we examine these things, we assess them and give them a certificate, it is a stamp of authority that you have that level of knowledge and people who want to employ you would also know . In fact, you can become an employer yourself, that is one of the advantages.And because you have the certificate,you can flaunt it and tell people I am a certified artisan, I am a certified craftsman.

And because Nigeria is an over-certificated society, everybody wants to have a certificate for whatever reason. even for chieftaincy titles, people get certificate that you have been awarded a chieftaincy; so, why not somebody who has a skill? They have gotten it through apprenticeship. You need something to tell the world that you have this qualification. And so NABTEB certificate is a very handy certificate, it is a stop-gap; it is a certificate that can become a stepping stone to higher certificate like the NBC/NTC and others. So, we are creating job opportunities for kids to discover themselves.

With all that is on gronnd, it is obvious that it has not been a bed of roses. What are the challenges so far?
One of the challenges are human resources management. Again, the job is physically stressful, you have to answer calls of the authorities quite frequently, travel long distances locally and internationally. Some people might see that as fun or excitement, but when it becomes more than the ordinary, it is no longer fun; it is very risky to travel.

NABTEB is also in dire need of funds because of our limited enrolment, though rising, the money we generate cannot adequately pay for our services that we need  to render. that is another problem.  The other problem which actually is the biggest is getting the society to liberalize its attitude towards technical certificate generally. It was said in a German forum that we attended in 2004 that if general certificate is the key to national development, TVE is the master key to national development.

How do you overcome these challenges and what is your vision for TVE in Nigeria in the next five years?
Well, some of these problems we are overcoming but we are not cutting corners. We address them frontally. The budget is improving. We recently conducted promotions and very many of our staff, both senior and junior got their promotions and everybody is in the mood, ready to work. We are all excited.

This is one way we do it, through welfare programme. when you hurt one, you hurt all others and so when something affects one it affects all others. So when I have my general assembly meetings I call them the NABTEB family members. We are a family here.

The government is also not neglecting us on the issue of funding, but we ask for more. Our transport phase is very well adequately taken care of now. We don’t have a problem of moving our examination materials and we are able to do so very quickly.

My vision for TVE in the next five years is a very ambitious one. I want to see it becoming part of the certificate requirement in this country for SSCE especially in their training programme. We must give teeth to the national policy on education because that component has been fulfilled in the breach all along, that’s part of the problem today.

You know that the position really is that by the time you get to certain level you are tracked. With that tracking, a lot of people don’t want their children to go into TVE because they believe once you enter there you cannot become a medical doctor, you can’t become an engineer, that’s wrong. If we are all engineers in this country, who will take care of us medically?  If we are all doctors in this country, who will look after construction? Who will look after management? Who will look after sewage disposal?  Who will look at the ordinary social component, social means in our lives?

we need musicians, we need people to sow the dress you are wearing; we need to manufacture, we need people to consume, so nobody is an island to himself, nobody.  You are carrying a hoe, you are carrying a leather bag, all these things were made by different people. And therefore for a nation to develop it needs the hands of everybody. So, technical education should be a principal hand this time because of the present level that we are.

We are talking about power generation, distribution and all that, fine, these are the work of engineers but you need a person to go and install your meter, make sure your meter is working, make sure the right revenue comes out of that matter so that you can have enough money to meet the needs of giving you electricity. A lot of people use light in this country without making payment. So these are problems. 

I was in a home somewhere when I went for a conference, a plumber came inand the landlord fixed an an appointment with him   just like you fix an appointment  with a medical doctor and the fees were charged per the hour. So, that is my vision for technical certificates in this country where one day their services will be recognized and people pay them their dues. If you have too much egalitarian view of life, you never go anywhere. You must till the soil, you must reap.my vision is that one day we shall recognize the need for technical and vocational education. It is the master key to national development.

OAU student wins World Bank International essay competition

By Ayo Onanuga

Ayodele ObajeunThe World Bank International Essay Competition is a world-renowned competition whose winners are afforded the opportunity of literarily walking the red-carpet. In this interview conducted with the only remaining Nigerian contestant to participate in the finale taking place next month in South Africa, The Tribune Correspondent, Ayo Onanuga, discovers the driving force behind the young man’s aspirations and what hopes has for the future, when he hopes to hold sway over the re-positioning of the country Nigeria.

Could you introduce yourself, giving us an insight into your family and educational background?
My name is Obajeun Jonah Ayodele Kayode. Although I have been variously called Kayode and Obajeun by my friends either in my secondary or primary school days, most of my friends now call me Ayo or A.Y for short. I am from the North-Central part of Nigeria, precisely Kogi state. The fifth of six children, I attended the Army Children School, Abule Egba, Lagos for my primary education, after which I went to Orile Agege Community High School for my secondary education. I am currently a 400 level Chemical Engineering student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile ife, Osun state. I am also the current President of the Association of Campus Journalist (ACJ). In addition,

Could you talk about the World Bank International Essay Competition?
The International Essay Competition is fully sponsored by the World Bank from its Head Office located in Paris and is open to all students all over the world, however with strict restrictions on the age of prospective entrants. In this last edition, Nigeria and the United States contributed the most entrants out of over 400. We were all expected to write on a general topic; “What can you do to shape the city of your choice” which could be streamlined to a related sub-topic of one’s choice. My sub-topic was “Making Paradise from Slums”. After the first round, the top 200 authors were shortlisted and believe it, 20 Nigerians were in the list. The best 22, with two Nigerians still in, were thereafter sifted based on the practicability of their submissions. For the final round which will take place from June 7-12, 2008, eight outstanding authors were chosen and I am the only surviving Nigerian. The other remaining contestants are from Nepal, Columbia, China, Cote D’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, and Brazil.

How did you come about the competition?
I would say I was fortunate to be flipping through the pages of a Sunday edition of the Nation newspaper when I saw the advert. I did not attach much importance to it however, until I started surfing the web to have in-depth information concerning the contest and its topic. I discovered that I got so many materials, more than I needed, so I made up my mind to at least submit an entry. Although the World Bank claimed to have circulated the leaflets around Nigeria, I do not think we got any in OAU. All the same we were about six from Ife that I know of. Truly I was surprised when I saw my name on the list of shortlisted entrants.

Did you ever think you were going to win it?
Well, in every thing I do, I always pray and hope for the best. I think always of being the best in all I do, so it is not only a matter of the essay contest alone. I have always dreamt of representing this country at the highest level, I know I am on the right path. It will happen soon. I will be representing my institution and the country at the final jury next month in South Africa. All I need is Nigerians’ prayers and I know it will be well.

How has making news affected your life?
I know with this success, I have a lot of responsibilities and expectations which I have to fulfill. Despite the fact that I am only still just making a name for myself, I consider myself a public asset, a public figure already. Some people are only out to know what kinds of things I eat, who my girlfriend is, and how I live my life, and so on. Some others even tell me that I am in the wrong department, that is should have done something Arts-related. But I think my success in Chemical Engineering has spoken for itself. I know God is behind me and he has solid plans for me.

What things do you stand to gain for winning the competition?
Aside from the prizes that will go with winning, there will also be a Diploma Certification. My stint in South Africa for the Annual Bank Conference of Development Economics organized by the World Bank and the National Treasury of South Africa will also provide me a fantastic platform to showcase myself. I am sure it will also be a door opener to some other great and defining opportunities for me. The glory is however not mine alone. My University as well as my country also share in it and I feel proud for that.

What things do you see yourself doing in the future?
I really will not be able to tell you much now because all those will manifest as time goes on. The important thing is watch out for Obajeun Jonah Ayodele.

Concluding words of advice to fellow aspiring students?
It is time for Nigeria to take a exulted place in the comity of nations and that means it is time for the youths to know they are ripe enough to take the gauntlet in re-defining the future we want for our country. It is time to take the bull by the horn and fortunately, there are role models to look up to; the Deolu Akinyemis’, Gbenga Sesans’, Chimamanda Ngozi Adicheis’, to mention a few. It is time to join forces and reposition this country because the future belongs to us.