The disconnect between Nigerian academia and the industry is not news. Several articles and research papers have been written to explore the disconnect and why it exists. That academia needs to be hinged to the realities and needs of the industry is therefore an obvious need. This article is focused on exploring this issue, particularly through the student’s educational experiences.
One major way that has been explored to bridge the gap is the Industrial Training model that is being implemented through the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme . Created by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1974, the SIWES model has gradually lent itself to obsolesce in its contribution to this academia-industry connection.
This begs the question: Are there new models that can be explored to bridge the academia-industry divide and situated within higher education experiences? In a knowledge-sharing event that was hosted in 2023 by The Education Partnership, I and some leading Education Policy Experts shared some insights on this matter., the founder of MAYEIN and the African Regional Network Coordinator at NORRAG, proposed a 2-pronged model to address this problem and help students translate abstract concepts learned in the classroom into real-world contexts. I believe the model deserves the attention of policymakers and the general public.
The innovativeness of this model is in its practicality, seeing that it leverages established practices within higher education and have already been successfully implemented by universities in Africa, as exemplified by the African Leadership University in Rwanda. This demonstrates the viability of such approaches even within the complex African context and it would make a huge difference if implemented.