The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Christopher Cooter, said on Tuesday that graduate lecturers from his country would soon be coming to Nigeria to teach.

Cooter made the announcement in Ilorin, when he paid a courtesy visit to the Kwara Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Alhaji Saka Onimago.

According to him, there has been a long tradition of alliance between Canada and Nigeria in the area of education.

He said that in the 1960s and 1970s, Canada was buoyant in extending its services abroad, especially to Nigeria.

He said that the Canadian know-how would be introduced to Nigerian schools, adding that it would also afford Canadians opportunities to familiarise themselves with African culture.

''Last year, I spoke with the Vice-Chancellor, Kwara State University (KWASU) on how to get Canada back to Nigeria to help in the education sector.

''Canadian Government would send people from 50 colleges and universities to come down to various states in the country to help out,'' he said.

Cooter charged the government to invest in education with emphasis on skills acquisition for jobs.

He added that in January, there was an agreement between the two countries to collaborate with 50 colleges to focus on introducing skills in order to create jobs for the youths.

''We intend to introduce a Canadian education model, where there is 90 to 95 per cent chance of getting jobs after graduating from colleges.

''In Nigeria, there are more graduates than the government can cater for.

''Vocation training should be the mainstream, while making sure the curriculum in schools fits with the market needs,'' Cooter said.

He advised that retraining of students should also be embarked upon and that government should evaluate the situation.

According to him, what is good as regards education in the 70's may not be applicable in recent times.

The High Commissioner also said that more people were needed for high-tech work, and called on colleges in the country to reinforce themselves towards science-oriented courses.

Responding, Onimago said that the Kwara Ministry of Education had received enormous support from the Canadian Government when Canadian nationals taught in secondary schools.

''This assisted the secondary schools immensely where there were shortages of teachers, adding that the Canadian Government had also been involved in building the capacity of teachers.

He said that a Canadian, Mr Paul Brennan, of the Association of Canadian Committee of Colleges (ACCC), came to anchor a seminar on Vocational and Technical Education.

''Canadian Government organised education trade fairs once a year in Abuja, Lagos and Kano which was a positive effort to support Nigeria in the bid to improve teaching and learning,'' Cooter said.

He said that the present administration in the state had restructured the Ministry of Education, as it had added a Ministry of Tertiary Institution in the state.

Onimago said that the new structure would revolutionise the education sector to develop the youths, students, graduates and others who desired to acquire skills and achieve self-actualisation.

(NAN)