Historical Foundation of Vocational Education in Nigeria

 This refers to a summary of the origin, significant events and developments in technical and vocational education in Nigeria. This type of education dates back to the beginning of the human race on this planet; though in an informal and unorganized way. This is because there has always been the need for man to do things for himself in order to provide practical answers and solutions to the problems and challenges of living. This is the essence of Vocational Education. Some forms of Vocational Education existed even before the arrival of the missionaries.

Ekpenyong and Nwabuisi (2001) describe vocational education as the “Cinderella” of Education. This implies that it was erroneously neglected and relegated to the background when it was supposed to be the real essence of the education industry.

The history and development of Business Education, (and in fact Vocational Education generally) has also been likened to that of a child whose father abandoned because he felt he already had the types of children he wanted; it was later picked up by a childless man who knew it’s usefulness, nurtured and groomed it to adulthood – (Ekpenyong 1992). This implies that historically, Vocational Education in Nigeria did not enjoy government’s attention and support from the onset. Rather a few Nigerian entrepreneurs took the much needed initiative having realized the relevance of Vocational Education not just to their personal lives or businesses but also to national economic growth and development as well as societal stability.

This explains why the organized, formal and structured Vocational Education as it exists in various institutions today is relatively new and faced with peculiar challenges compared with the “conventional” disciplines such as law, English language, mathematics, medicine etc.

The historical development of vocational education in Nigeria will be presented under the following sub-headings to make it easier for you to understand.

i. Vocational Education in the Pre-colonial Era
ii. Vocational Education in the Colonial Era
iii. Vocational Education in the Post-Colonial Era

i. Vocational Education in the Pre-Colonial Era

This refers to Vocational Education before the arrival of the missionaries into Nigeria. During this era, Vocational Education had cultural inclinations and undertones. It was more of Traditional Vocational Education.

According to Ali (2000), before the introduction of formal, western education in Nigeria, at about 1892, different ethnic groups were already “training” young men and women in various occupations, trades as well as production of different materials and services such as: brewing, building, carving, spinning, fishing, hair-dressing, pottery, mining, herbalism, agriculture, gold-smithing, iron-smithing, etc. This was done at family and sometimes community levels. Appropriate character training and disposition were also taught. This was the era traditional vocational education.

At this time, certain skills, trades or vocations were traceable to or said to “run” in particular families, ethnic groups, villages, etc. Each tried to be perfect in and jealously guard the skills or occupations for which they were known.

During the era of traditional vocational education, people generally engaged in vocations such as various types of farming (poultry, snail, livestock, etc), fishing, hunting, carving, carpentry, sculpturing, painting, building, decoration, catering, boat-making, mat-making, dyeing, hair plaiting, barbing, traditional medicine, trading, etc. During this period, skills, knowledge, competencies and attitudes were inculcated in the youths in two major ways:

1. Informal and
2. Non-Formal Methods 
3.  Informal Traditional Vocational Education:

 Here the teaching team comprised of parents, senior siblings and relatives. It appeared that some children unconsciously acquired special vocational skills by just being part of specific families or villages while other children also unconsciously acquired relevant vocational skills in their families such as house-keeping, hair- plaiting, baby-care, cooking, vegetable farming, trading and so on, for the girls; or hunting, fishing, livestock-keeping, barbing, traditional medicine, gold smiting, etc. for the boys. At the time it was almost mandatory that all children born into a family should learn their fathers’ crafts (for the male children), or mothers’ vocation (for the female children). Young men and
women were thus identified and traced to specific lineages as a result of the type of craft or vocation they practiced.


ii) Non-Formal Methods: According to Evans (1981) quoted in Ekpenyong (2005), in non-formal (out of school) education, there is a conscious effort on the part of both the source of information 

(e.g. parents, relatives or master craftsmen) and the learners to promote learning. This was mainly achieved through the apprenticeship system.

Apprenticeship: This refers to a system whereby youths usually from the age of 12 were sent or bonded or apprenticed to relatives, family friends or master craftsmen or women to learn a special vocation or trade for a given period of time. The duration of training varied from trade to trade. During the training period, the apprentice usually lived with and served the master’ or mistress’s household while the latter provided him with shelter, food, clothing, religious, civic as well as moral training along with the specified vocational training.

The apprenticeship system could be informal, less formal or formal. During the pre-colonial era, the informal method was mostly practiced. At that time, the apprenticeship system was more like an institution guarded by customs, traditions and sometimes rituals. After the

specified period of time, the apprentice would be set free with a kind of ceremony as well as basic requirements or materials for starting off on his own.

Generally, the teaching method during the era of traditional vocational training included direct instructions, demonstrations, and question asking among others. While the learners had to listen, observe, respond to and ask questions, as well as engage in practicals at appropriate time. The formal method of apprenticeship is still practised today though it is not as domincent or popular as it used to be.

It is important to mention that during this time, the Birom people of Plateau State and their counterparts at Awka in Anambra State were famous in blacksmithing, the “Benis” were famous in bronze and Ivory carving, Abia State and environs were famous in “Akwete” weaving, Bida people were famous barbers, etc. Some of these crafts are still traceable to these respective communities till date.

It is equally pertinent to state that during that era, the society really appreciated and valued the dignity of labour. Vocational training then was highly relevant to societal needs, goals and values. Oranu (1995) quoted in Ile, Asoegwu and Chukwugbo (2005) asserted that before the advent of the white man in Nigeria, labour and hard work were glorious and highly esteemed. However, the white-collar jobs of the white men gradually but systematically paved the way for the erosion of the dignity of labour. It appears that gradually, the functional and valuable traditional vocational training that our fore-fathers worked so hard to establish was relegated to the background, as it was referred to as “blue collar” job and considered inferior to “white collar” jobs that merely involved the use of “pen and paper”.