Collaboration in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (Stem) Education and Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for Graduates’ Competence in Nigeria

Abstract

The demands for skills, especially modern work-related, entrepreneurial and self-reliant skills are necessary in this present twenty-first century. It is clear that a single discipline may not impart comprehensive and required skills, and provide the competencies needed by graduates to remain relevant. There can be no better collaboration than STEM Education and Technical Vocational Education and Training, considering the level at which their contents, mode of delivery and job descriptions relate. The author’s opinion is that Nigeria’s chronic rate of unemployment among youths can be addressed through right-skilling and up-skilling. Collaboration of these two broad disciplines should urgently be experimented for skill development to reposition youths to fit into the demands of the present era.

1. Introduction

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education started gaining prominence in Nigeria’s education system with the introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system of education in the 1980s. Therefore, in the formulation of her educational policies, much attention was drawn to this important aspect of education, such as curriculum restructuring from basic to tertiary education, provision of science laboratory equipment to schools, increased funding for STEM-related programmes, including overseas scholarship for STEM-based students, teachers and researchers, among others. The importance attached to STEM Education has not changed as Nigeria, in the last few decades, has witnessed educational reforms in favour of STEM, in view of repositioning the education sector of the economy to deliver its mandate, considering her choice of education as a veritable tool for national development. The recent trends in Nigeria’s educational reforms have witnessed the government and stakeholders showing much concern for STEM Education. Relevant stakeholders in education, especially those at the level of formulating, regulating and implementing educational policies, increasingly design programmes that draw the interest of school children to STEM-related academic disciplines and careers. This was equally followed by the establishment of Science schools at the secondary school level, while a good number of Science-related courses were mounted across Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions. The idea was to train the younger generations with critical thinking and inventive abilities to grow Nigeria’s economy as a country endowed with an abundance of natural resources.

Another area in the education sector that was given top priority in the 1980s, after STEM Education, is Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Interestingly, Nigeria, in response to global trends at the outset of the new millennium, increased the tempo in terms of priority given to TVET. Therefore, one of the action plans to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was to expand TVET delivery systems in order to provide the needed skills to the younger generation in particular and empower them to create wealth. This was to ensure that they were productive and remained job and wealth creators. The emphasis on TVET, a broad-based discipline drawn from technical and vocational educational clusters, covers a broad range of subjects from basic to tertiary education levels.

Significantly, too, between the 1980s and late 1990s, emphasis on STEM was expanded to embrace TVET. However, in the early 2000s, Nigeria’s attention to TVET saw the establishment of more technical colleges and the introduction of TVET courses at the tertiary education levels. Thus, regular and recent revisions of the National Policy on Education have been to accommodate these newly adapted sub-sectors of education, having recognised their potency in the production of graduates needed to drive Nigeria’s natural and human resources potentials to shower economic development and sustainability.

This chapter further addresses concerns in STEM Education and TVET as cross-cutting courses in Nigeria’s education system, Nigeria’s educational reforms with STEM and TVET, practical approaches and regulatory agencies required for reforms in STEM and TVET, structural comparison of STEM and TVET, funding as a vehicle to effective STEM Education and TVET, pedagogical approaches, practical inclination and collaborative strategies for the future of STEM Education and TVET are harnessed in this chapter.

2. Historical analysis of Nigeria’s education reform and the concern for STEM and technical vocational education and training

Nigeria’s education reforms can be deciphered in two phases: the pre-independent and post-independent phases. Unarguably, Western merchants, missionaries and colonial suzerains brought formal education and established schools in Nigeria, with the first primary school established in 1842, long after an attempt by Portugues merchants to do so with restrictions to traditional rulers, who were already exerting so much influence in their respective Kingdom. In other words, European adventurers, whether for business, religious or colonial intentions, brought Nigeria to the limelight of formal/western education. It is often remarked that the type of education handed down to Nigerians was to serve their purposes and not to develop Nigerians. Hence, skilled subjects such as STEM Education and TVET were not introduced into the curriculum. Ossai [1] noted that Nigerians were taught the four Rs – Arithmetic, Reading, Religion and Writing. The curriculum introduced in the school system between 1882 and 1925 marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s educational history. The next phase of curriculum development spanned from 1925 to 1952, marking the establishment of commissions such as the Phelps–Stokes Commission. Interestingly, curriculum development during this period marked a minimal shift from the four Rs to areas of need in Nigeria.

Unfortunately, Nigerians themselves had little understanding of how to adapt to a paradigm shift in this regard. Thus, Afimag.com noted that Nigerians, at the time, favoured academic curriculum above agricultural and technical curriculum because previous students who completed secondary education gained admission into the tertiary institutions with these subjects and saw it as a pathway to securing white-collar jobs. Despite the adherence of Nigeria to the existing curriculum, Phelp-Stoke strongly recommended and made a move intended to match education in Nigeria to the actual needs of Nigerians. This was why the colonial government made efforts towards the provision of agricultural and technical education based on the recommendations of the Phelp-Stoke Commission. The recommendations equally included the need for teacher preparation and registration. Another stage, beginning from 1952 to 1960, marked the birth of examination bodies such as the West African Examination Council (WAEC), which was established in 1952. Notably, emphasis was laid on the development of curriculum, evaluation of academic programmes through services of education inspectors, training of teachers, and funding of schools by colonial masters, missionaries and other proprietors. Meanwhile, during the periods under review, no concerted effort was made to develop STEM Education and TVET.

The second phase of curriculum development witnessed the introduction of STEM and TVET into the curriculum. This followed the recommendations by Ashby Commission that certain vocational and commercial subjects be introduced into the curricula of schools. Subjects introduced include agricultural science, commerce, business mathematics. This is the same period of re-echoed emphasis on technology; thus, Aina [2] noted that technology and engineering education in Nigeria are evolving to date. Aina compared the trends in Nigeria with those of developed countries, where the trajectory of STEM in Nigeria revealed significant achievements in the past and the present critical challenges that require attention. The author further noted that STEM in Nigeria shows substantial achievements in some sectors of the economy such as health, agriculture and telecommunication. Greater parts of the achievement of STEM Education would have been in training students to choose career parts relevant to their aspirations. Rosenzweig and Chen [3] classified career reference into four groups: appealing, unappealing, polarising, and overlooked. They frowned at the poor development of STEM education, which the author reported as hindering national development. Growing out of colonial influence and administration in 1960 gave Nigerians the opportunity to handle their affairs in the education sector based on the peculiarities of Nigeria and global realities.

Basic Education (BE) in Nigeria has STEM offered as Basic Science and Technology with a curriculum segmented into three levels under the 9-year Basic Education Curriculum thus: Basic Science and Technology for Primary 1-3, 4-6, and JSS 1-3 [4, 5].

Subjects are classified in clusters under each stage. For instance, the subjects clustered under Basic Education, according to FRN [6], are Basic Science, Basic Technology, Information Technology and Physical and Health Education. On the other hand, the curriculum structure of STEM at the post-basic education level has Science and Mathematics as a cluster and technology as another cluster. The former (Science and Mathematics) covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Further Mathematics, Health Education, Agriculture, Physical Education and Computer studies. The latter (Technology Education) covers Technical Drawing, General Metal Work, Basic Electricity, Electronics, Auto Mechanics, Building Construction, Woodwork, Home Management and Food and Nutrition.

3. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET)

According to FMoE [7], pre-vocation studies are a new Universal Basic Education (UBE) subject curriculum created from the integration of Agriculture and Home Economics in a bid to reduce subject listing at the UBE level. The objectives of pre-vocational studies at the UBE level are to enable the pupils/students to:

1. Develop interest in Agriculture and Home Economics (pre-vocational studies);

2. Acquire basic knowledge in pre-vocational studies;

3. Become aware of the occupational areas in the pre-vocational studies;

4. Acquire basic skills required for entry into the occupational areas of the pre-vocational studies;

5. Appreciate the dignity of labour and entrepreneurship.

This component of education is classified under post-basic education and career development, offered after basic education. Pre-vocational education is offered at the basic level, beginning at the middle basic level (Primary 4-6). Thus, the curriculum is structured as follows: pre-vocational studies for Primary 4-6, JSS 1-3, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for Senior Secondary School.

There is uniqueness in the content of the pre-vocational studies curriculum. The introductory paragraphs, objectives, justification and brief description of the curriculum are uniquely described for both pre-vocational studies 4–6 and pre-vocational studies for JSS 1-3 [4, 5]. A definition advocated for TVET by the Federal Republic of Nigeria [6] refers to those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economic and social life.

4. The nature and role of STEM and TVET education in Nigeria

It is pertinent to emphasise here that both STEM and TVET have more practical components attached to little theoretical enunciations at the ratio of 70 and 30 per cent, respectively. Practical approaches are adopted for enhanced skill development and competence among graduates in these two broad areas (STEM and TVET). In the course of reforms, STEM Education and TVET have been given preference with practical approaches, including but not limited to establishment and separation of relevant regulatory and supervisory authorities responsible for STEM Education and TVET programmes; approval of students’ industrial work experience schemes for students from these two clusters; establishment of vocational enterprise institutions for continuous training through collaborations; among others.

The importance attached to STEM Education and TVET warranted the establishment of relevant agencies for regulating these two significant areas of education. In the UBE and Post-UBE categories (Primary and Secondary Education), STEM Education and TVET are directly regulated by Science and Technical Education Board. At the Federal level, the National Business and Technical Education Board (NABTEB) oversees STEM Education TVET at UBE, Post-UBE and National Board for Technical Education at the Higher Education (HE). This independent identity allows for effective monitoring of academic programmes in these two education clusters, development techniques for effective evaluation and ensures quality graduates’ output.

Approval and administration of students’ industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) for students from STEM Education and TVET clusters.

Students undergoing studies in STEM Education and TVET courses are made to undergo compulsory training in industries to acquire practical work experience and relate theoretical enunciations obtained in the classroom with hands-on experience in work and business environments. Classroom enunciation may be as effective as it is but does not replace ‘work ready’ state of graduates. Thus, Obi [8] posited that SIWES prepares ‘work ready’ graduates.

During the most recent review of the National Policy on Education, a remarkable innovation was the establishment of vocational enterprise institutions (VEIs) for continuous training through collaborations. The need to solve perennial problems in Nigeria led to the review of the National Policy on Education (NPE), where innovations were introduced that led to the establishment of Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs). The mandate of VEIs is to redirect people into creativity and innovativeness in line with global trends. According to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, VEIs will be offered to graduates of Senior Secondary Schools who could not transit to tertiary institutions. The period of training can last for two years. Summary of the goals of VEIs according to the Federal Republic of Nigeria [6] focuses on:

1. Training for specific skills and knowledge with a certificate issued to trainees on successful completion;

2. promote a training environment where trainees can think creatively to enhance knowledge transformation through technological processes, thereby creating wealth for economic development;

3. provide intensive training for the acquisition of functional skills using modern technologies for the achievement of national goals;

4. avail increase access to technological education at the tertiary level;

5. promotes the acquisition of skills in craftsmanship for global competition;

6. equip the trainee with competences to explore life opportunities; create opportunities for self-reliance, and make trainees wealth creators and providers of employment.

Emphasis on STEM Education and TVET in Nigeria is further premised on the need to engage graduates in productive venture as captured in the goals of VEIs highlighted above. There are other practical approaches to enhance the functionality of these two education clusters, including expansion through the approval and establishment of more academic programmes, technical colleges, polytechnics, and university of technologies, among others. Acquisition of skills will enable graduates to be productive and contribute to national development. In our era, the acquisition of generic skills become significant. Obi [8] observed that generic skills build self-esteem.

5. Structural comparison of STEM education and TVET in Nigeria education system

It is pertinent to note that STEM Education, TVET, and pre-vocational studies are interrelated as broad areas. The interrelationship provides an advantage for collaboration. Both broad areas have many things in common: Some courses in STEM Education are offered in TVET. The areas of interrelatedness are discussed generally in line with the basic education curriculum. The interrelationship is presented in tables. It is also pertinent to consider the interrelatedness based on the most recent structure of STEM Education and TVET (either pre-TVET) under the 9-year compulsory universal basic education, 3-year post-basic education, and post-senior secondary education.

Comparison of STEM Education and TVET (either pre-TVET) under the 9-year compulsory universal basic education

Table 1 identifies the interrelatedness between the two broad and very important areas of the entire education. Therefore, both STEM Education and TVET at the basic education level are interrelated. The integral objective of these academic programmes at the basic level is to equip learners with basic skills for progression to post-basic education level with interest in TVET, which covers other related areas such as STEM offered in technical colleges, Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs) offered through collaborations, and National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF). Again, a concise comparison of STEM Education and TVET under the 3-year post-basic education is necessary at this stage. The structure of TVET at the post-basic education is largely merged. Thus, FRN [6] maintained that TVET should cover the following: Technical Colleges and Vocational Enterprise institutions and National Vocational Qualification (NVQF). In other words, TVET is broadened at the Post-Basic Education Level to cover vocational subjects, technical subjects, science subjects, engineering at the foundational level, and, of course, mathematics. Some related areas may not necessarily be done in formal setting but regulated and formalised for certification under VEIs and NVQF. The provisions of Nigeria’s National Policy on Education on these educational aspects, according to FRN [6], are described in a tabular form and presented in Table 2.

Parameter	STEM	TVET
Subjects’ composition	Subject and course composition at all levels covers sciences, engineering, and mathematics, among others	Subject and course composition in technical education include engineering; agricultural science and home economics education include the sciences; computer education includes technology; and business education includes mathematics, especially commercial mathematics
Practical orientation	Delivery is largely practical, which is why large classes should be grouped at the ratio of 1:20 in line with the provisions of the National Policy on Education	Delivery is largely practical, which is why large classes should be grouped at the ratio of 1:20 in line with the provisions of the National Policy on Education
Laboratory/Workshop	Practical for all STEM courses are delivered either in the laboratory or workshop. For instance, science practical is conducted in the laboratory, engineering in workshops, and mathematics and technology both in laboratory and workshop	Subjects and courses related to agricultural science education are in the laboratory, field or farm; technical education in workshops; business education in computer/ICT laboratory
Pedagogical strategies	Delivery strategies are mainly activity-based and other scientific teaching methods	Delivery strategies are mainly activity-based and other scientific teaching methods
Model Curriculum Structure of STEM Education and TVET	Formal STEM (broad-based) curriculum under the 9-year basic education cuts across Primary 1–3, Primary 4–6, and JSS 1–3	Formal TVET (broad-based) curriculum begins at Primary 4–6 and continues with JSS 1–3
Objectives (JSS 1–3)	Provides activities that motivate students for preference in science and technology Train students to acquire basic skills and knowledge in science and technology Train students to apply skills acquired to meet contemporary and societal needs Create awareness of diverse career opportunities in science and technology Prepare students to advance their education in science and technology Inculcate positive attitudes that drive away social vices. Train students on safety and security measures	Develop interest in agriculture and home economics (pre-vocational studies) Acquire basic knowledge in pre-vocational studies Become aware of occupational areas in the pre-vocational studies Acquire basic skills required for entry into the occupational areas of the pre-vocational studies Appreciate the dignity of labour and entrepreneurship

Table 1.

Comparison of STEM education and TVET (either pre-TVET) under the 9-year compulsory universal basic education.

Source: Developed by Okon [9], as adjusted from FGN, 2023.

Basis for comparison	TVET	Technical Colleges	Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs)	National Vocational Qualification; (NVQF)
Goals/Features	Workforce training and specialised areas related to science, technology and business; Acquisition of vocational and technical skills for the productive sectors of the economy; and; Training to provide personal and self-reliant skills	The curricula promote training in different trades with learning outcomes structured in a systematic manner that allows for mastery of skills; The learning outcomes are grouped into general education; theory and related courses; workshop; industrial training/production work; entrepreneurial training; teacher–student ratio shall be kept at 1: 20	Provides training for the promotion of creativity.; Opportunity to accommodate diverse groups within a short-duration of 1 to 2 years	Provides the basis for the identification of diverse skill areas with trainees certification, thereby adding formal status to informal training with government recognition and acceptance of such certificates.

Table 2.

TVET under the 3-year post-basic education and related vocational programmes.

Source: Modified from FRN [6].

The analysis in Table 2 shows the interrelatedness of the components embedded in TVET, which includes technical/technology education and other related programmes such as VEIs and NVQF. This means that TVET is the umbrella academic programme and can be delivered using formal and informal approaches. This implies that TVET and associated areas highlighted in Table 2 have the cardinal objectives for training for skills acquisition.

A comparison of STEM Education and TVET under post-senior secondary education reveals that tertiary education in Nigeria is complex, with different types, levels and ownership. These include universities, polytechnics, mono-technic and colleges. Again, within each type of institution, there may be variation based on programmes and regulatory bodies. For the purpose of this research, colleges of education and universities are modelled for comparison between STEM Education and TVET. College of Education in Nigeria has the following categories: Traditional College of Education, College of Education (technical) and Distance Learning. The uniqueness of STEM Education and TVET at the college of education and university levels is based on the fact that STEM Education is offered in faculty domains, namely: STEM Education in the Faculty of Education/Vocational Technical/Technology Education; STEM Education in the Faculty of Sciences; and STEM Education in the Faculty of Engineering.

In most cases, courses offered under the auspices of TVET are offered in cognate faculties. For instance, courses offered in Technical Education are offered in Engineering; those offered in Agricultural Science Education are offered in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, among others.

Again, in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria, Technical Education (a major component of TVET), according to Federal Republic of Nigeria [10], has various areas of specialisation such as Automobile Technology; Building Technology; Electrical/Electronic Technology; Metalwork Technology; and Woodwork Technology.

Similarly, Business Education, another major component of TVET, has areas of specialisation such as Accounting, Office Management, Marketing, and Management found in other cognate faculties such as management sciences and business administration, among others. Home Economics Education as an aspect of TVET that has options in Textile and Clothing, Food and Nutrition, and Home Management are also in other cognate departments.

6. Educational funding on STEM education and TVET

Globally, education funding is critical to effective training of learners. Education funding has been a perennial issue in Nigeria and pre-dates independent Nigeria. For instance, Okon [9] noted that the Ashby Commission crystallised ‘Investment in Education’ with projection in the development of Higher Education. Okon further explained that the Commission was not just making proposals but making a programme for educational development that would be massive and expensive. Beyond this, the Federal Government of Nigeria has constantly been on the side of improvement in funding education with policy trust that equally attracts alternative funding. Notably, increased funding of education has been voiced for the development of STEM Education and TVET in Nigeria.

Therefore, funding was captured and accorded a section in the 6th edition of the National Policy on Education (NPE) that was developed and subjected to regular revision to match pace with changing global and indigenous realities occasioned by digital transition and application in virtually all facets of human endeavours. Funding, according to FRN [6], can effectively be addressed through the development and articulation of policies and provided in the 6th edition of the National Policy on Education, involving collective and wide consultation by the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). This is to ensure that the persistent gaps in education policy provisions and implementation in Nigeria are bridged. The current edition of the Policy highlights emphasise critical areas such as consolidating the 10-year Basic Education in line with Universal Basic Education; emphasis on quality assurance; development of the National Education and Management Information System (NEMIS); improvement strategic planning; teacher quality; and functional collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

In terms of funding, the policy acknowledged that education is capital intensive and requires adequate financial provisions and the need for these stakeholders, especially all tiers of government and private sector to jointly fund education in Nigeria. The Policy acknowledged interventionist programmes from Federal Government agencies such as Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund); international donor agencies such as Word Bank, USAID, UNIDO, UNICEF, UNDP, as well as NGOs, among others. Aina [2] asserted that funding is globally critical to sustainable STEM Education. The author further observed that inadequate funding has been a problem of STEM Education in Nigeria, noting that the Nigerian Government has not done enough to make funds available for STEM Education. Aina further reported that most schools are without modern learning resources as a result of inadequate funding, a situation that the author described as creating an appalling learning condition.

Therefore, the quest for improved funding for STEM Education is being voiced by stakeholders within and outside the purview of STEM. According to Adeniran [11], academic experts have called on the government at all levels to allocate special funding for STEM Education in Nigeria as a means to encourage students and boost the working condition of services for academics in the country. In the course of funding STEM Education in Nigeria, the government plays a major role. Therefore, the government at all levels needs to provide a good stimulus for pragmatic science and technology education and equally map out strategies to promote interventionist programmes that attract appropriate special funding for STEM Education and TVET programmes in Nigeria. Lawal [12] acknowledged the importance of STEM Education worldwide and its ability to stimulate development, especially in developing countries, but observed that Nigeria has little or no investment in STEM Education. Equally, Asaolu [13], in an inaugural lecture, advocated special funding for STEM Education in Nigeria. According to Asaolu, such development is borne out of the need to fasten the rapid industrialisation that Nigeria needs in her quest for national development. Okoli et al. [14] expressed dissatisfaction with the poor funding of TVET, noting that the nonchalant attitude dates back to the colonial days.

Nigeria can leverage collaborations with other economies across the globe. Evidence from the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) can be useful, where training is collaboratively handled by both government and private organisations. In most cases, private organisations identify skills and offer training to members of the immediate communities, thus contributing optimally to the development of the workforce. According to Palmer [15], countries in the region face strong pressures to expand their technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems and enhance their quality, while also facing spending pressures on basic and higher education, adding that as the demand increases, the need for sustainable financing for TVET becomes more urgent. Furthermore, Palmer argued that this is not only about ensuring that sufficient and predictable revenue streams exist to fund training programmes but perhaps just as importantly about how financing mechanisms themselves can be strongly linked to achieving policy objectives of making TVET systems more accessible, equitable, efficient, demand-driven, responsive and relevant. From the preceding, therefore, the following areas of funding strategies highlighted by Palmer are summarised as follows:

1. Diversification through enterprises, individuals and other innovative sources of funding and through private-public partnerships (PPP)

2. Efficiency and equity in financing policies and mechanisms

3. Effective utilisation of resources through a sound administrative system

4. Funding from private resources in the form of students’ fees

1. Pedagogical approaches and practical inclination

Simply put, Nigeria’s experience in education funding requires a paradigm shift. Funding education has remained a frontline issue in Nigeria over the decades. This view is widely reported by scholars and people from other walks of life, including government functionaries who are in a position to reverse the trend. One could sum up such reports by concluding that education is grossly underfunded. This is amidst several sources of funding education, such as reports by researchers. For instance, Nnamdi and Nwite [16] identified sources of funds such as School fees and levies on school children in some states and other monies raised within the school; fund yield ventures such as lunching of school magazines and almanacks, sports’ complex, inter-house sports’ appeal fund; revenue from agricultural yield and home economics exhibitions; donations from philanthropic individuals; corporate funding from local and international organisations such as World Bank with interest in STEM and TVET funding through school building renovation and rehabilitation and supply of school equipment (science and technology education post-basic project (STEP-B) World Bank Assisted), endowment funds, local community aid through parents and teachers’ association (PTA) and some wealthy members of the community; among others.

Education suffers poor funding in Nigeria. Consequently, the slow rate of development it portends to the education system and economic development beckons for a more aggressive and enterprising approach to funding education. It is equally pertinent to advocate for divorce and independent funding of different components in education based on segmentations provided in the National Policy on Education, where Technology and TVET education can be funded independently.

Again, heavy funding of STEM Education and TVET under long-term investment in the next two decades is urgently required. Therefore, the Federal Ministry of Education, in conjunction with State ministries of education, can draw a funding plan for commitments by all tiers of government. Thereafter, the government at all levels should introduce initiatives for private sector engagement and commitment in contributing to the funding of education in Nigeria.

Furthermore, STEM and TVET institutions should map out models for funding sustainability through venture development during the 20 years long-term investment through heavy funding of education by the Government of Nigeria. Venture enterprises by STEM and TVET institutions should take into consideration, and utilise the global business environment through e-business opportunities in a knowledge economy.

Importantly, too, prudence in the management of funds and accountability are necessary qualities school managers must possess. Personnel in charge of appropriating educational funds should be made to account for funds at their disposal, and heavy sanctions should be meted out on defaulters.

7. Collaborative strategies for the future of STEM education and TVET

The importance attached to STEM Education in Nigeria is attracting collaborations. Lawal [12] was emphatic on the benefits of collaboration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and TVET to the development of Nigeria. Collaborative strategies can take the following forms:

Exchange programmes: These include students’ exchange programmes for 1 year internship between STEM and TVET students/institutions globally; instructors’ exchange programmes through sabbatical leave, adjuncts and visiting teachers and lecturers; direct training of students in advanced economies through Federal and State Governments’ sponsors.

7.1 Research collaboration in topical issues in STEM and TVET

The authors’ collaboration to enhance published works as good sources of content that lecturers in STEM Education and TVET can use and enrich content delivery; institutions’ collaboration in research among authors can be across institutions within a country. Lathabai et al. [17] are of the opinion that institutions should shift from what they call trust-based funding to performance-based funding. Of course, this implies that funds made available would be put to proper use. Again, Tim and Leuprecht [18] recognised the globalising world and the need for cross-border collaborations. Also, Yao [19] noted that international collaborative research involves cross-country teams that share research interests, conduct research and promote research results to advance knowledge and promote positive shifts in practice. These are lessons that institutions offering STEM Education and TVET need to enhance their collaborative mechanisms to enhance economic and sustainable development.

1. Nigeria can seek World Bank sponsorship in the development of STEM and TVET

2. International exhibition through STEM and TVETFair for fundraising

3. Endowment funds from wealthy individuals in the society

4. Scholarships and capital projects by industries

5. Increasing education endowment funds paid by companies through education tax

8. Conclusions

The nature of STEM and TVET reveal striking similarities, with both having the mandate of producing skilled-bound graduates that can proffer solutions to Nigeria’s ailing economy through problem-solving and critical thinking and the acquisition of functional skills for self-reliance, productivity and poverty eradication. This chapter reveals that the initial effort by the Western world to establish Western/formal education witnessed very little or no emphasis on STEM and TVET education but provided a platform for education development. Thus, different commissions instituted by pre-independent education bodies made recommendations that provided the roadmap for what later evolved as STEM and TVET. The growing needs of Nigeria, as they took over the affairs of their country, at independence, yearned for an educational system that could address emerging realities. Thus, Nigeria saw the need to revise the previous curriculum that seemingly addressed colonial and other foreign needs to reflect the needs of the Nigerian Society. This yielded results as Nigeria laid and is still laying much emphasis on STEM and TVET. This has resulted in increased education funding with a reasonable proportion voted to STEM and TVET, development of a curriculum that addresses the concerns of STEM and TVET that have proven to be of collaborative relevance in addressing the needs and aspirations of Nigeria in terms of national development.

This chapter therefore concludes that the mandate of education to produce graduates with functional skills can best be achieved through effective and continuous STEM and TVET collaboration. Unarguably, therefore, collaborations among disciplines can be very useful in the production of graduates with competencies who can efficiently fit into the demands of the twenty-first century. Considering the similarities of STEM Education and TVET in structure, approach and delivery, educational institutions cannot afford to ignore such collaborations. In order to uphold their mandate, therefore, practical activities can be better achieved through collaboration strategies. This, therefore, requires training to enhance skill development.