Youth Participation in Forestry Education in Nigeria

Abstract

The concept of forestry education cuts across all its facets that is, the professional, technical and vocational. In view of continuous technological changes, forestry education must not be static. It must be versatile in order to be able to meet evolving contemporary challenges. This can be attested to by the great transformation in curriculum development between 1963 and 1986. Though there are presently 20 Universities in Nigeria offering forestry and allied courses, this has not actually impacted on students’ enrolment. This scenario poses enormous challenges to forestry education. Therefore, in order to reposition forestry education in Nigeria, this paper suggested among other factors that forestry curricula should be well positioned, flexible and adaptable; forestry teachers should be made to undertake pedagogical studies for effective teaching delivery; establishment of forestry education at secondary school level and funding, which is very crucial to an effective delivery of forestry education should be made readily available. The study therefore concluded by stressing the need for massive public enlightenment on forestry education and its prospects. There is a need for forestry education to be repackaged to make it more competitive in terms of student enrollment and future career options. There is also an urgent need to review the curricula of forestry courses in many secondary schools and introduced into curriculum. Forestry education in Africa must graduate from the current theory-based learning process to include much of the needed practical training.