National Defence College Conducts National Study Tour for Participants of Course 29
National Defence College, Nigeria (NDC), has successfully conducted the 2020 National Study Tour for Participants of Course 29. The exercise which is an important aspect of the curriculum of Module 2 (The State and Scio-Political Environment) of the Course, was conducted from 15 to 22 November 2020. The essence of the tour was to acquaint participants with the understanding of the socio-political environment of the States of the Federation and the country in general as exemplified in the various lectures and the seminar already conducted in the Module. The theme for the National Study Tour was “Promoting Science and Technology Education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Tour had the 97 participants of the NDC Course 29 divided into 5 teams to visit 5 states across the Country. Amongst the states visited were Adamawa, Benue, Delta, Ebonyi and Sokoto State. Teams were to examine the condition of Science and Technology Education in the states being visited, including what could be done to enhance the sector for national development.
The major objective of the National Study Tour was to generate and interrogate viable ideas for promoting science and technology education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the States being visited. To achieve the above objective, the participants made presentations on the states visited with specific interest in areas such as the Geo-Strategic setting of the State; geography, history, people and the culture of the people of the State; Overview of Science and Technology Education in the State and its capacity to support the Fourth Industrial Revolution; A SWOT analysis of the State in the context of the topic; Issues and Challenges militating against Science and Technology Education in the State; Efforts, policies and programmes as well as the institutional and other frameworks for promoting science and technology education in the State; The Effects/Contributions/Implications of Science and Technology Education on socio-political development of the State; Strategies to improve Science and Technology Education in the State for enhanced national development.
The participants’ report on the tour also identify at least 3 efforts of the State Government to promote Science and Technology Education for enhanced national development, and 3 effects/contributions/implications of science and technology education to the development of the state. The Strategies were to be Suitable, Acceptable, Feasible and Ethical (SAFE) and the recommendations were also to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART).
The oral presentation on the states visited was conducted at the College premises on Monday 30 November and Tuesday 1 December 2020. In attendance during the presentation were representatives of the Governors of Adamawa, Benue, Delta and Sokoto states who were present to witness the exercise.
