The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has unveiled 14 new curricula for Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in environmental health technology, public health technology, and epidemiology and disease control technology.
The curricula are designed for environmental and public health programmes in Nigerian polytechnics and monotechnics.
Dr Yakubu Baba, Registrar and Executive Officer of EHCON, unveiled the curricula on Thursday in Abuja and said they marked a milestone in environmental health education and public health development.
Baba said the curricula were the outcome of years of consultation, technical review and collaboration among regulatory and educational institutions.
He said the review was necessary to reposition environmental health education to address emerging national and global challenges.
According to him, the new curricula mark a shift from broad-based training to specialised and competency-driven professional education.
He said they would equip students with scientific knowledge, practical skills, modern techniques, professional ethics and technological capabilities.
“The programmes are designed to produce highly skilled professionals capable of contributing to improved sanitation, food safety, waste management, pollution prevention and control, disease surveillance, climate-change mitigation and adaptation.
“They are also to improve occupational health and safety and protect communities from environmental health risks,” he said.
Baba said the initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government, especially its focus on human-capital development, skills acquisition, disease prevention, environmental sustainability and improved quality of life.
He said it also supported relevant Sustainable Development Goals on health, zero hunger, water and sanitation, sustainable communities, climate action and partnerships.
The EHCON registrar commended the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), technical experts, curriculum developers, professional associations and academics for their contributions.
He said the collaboration demonstrated the importance of partnerships between regulatory and educational institutions in achieving national objectives.
Baba urged provosts, lecturers and instructors of polytechnics, monotechnics and other approved institutions to ensure effective implementation of the curricula.
He said institutions must provide qualified lecturers, laboratories, modern equipment, teaching materials, field-training opportunities and conducive learning environments.
He said EHCON would work with NBTE and participating institutions to organise capacity-building and train-the-trainer programmes.
According to him, the programmes would strengthen teaching competencies and promote uniform implementation of the curricula nationwide.
Baba said the council would support institutional readiness assessments, programme accreditation, quality assurance, monitoring and periodic curriculum reviews.
He also called for stronger partnerships among training institutions, industry, government agencies and communities to ensure that classroom learning translated into practical experience.
He said EHCON would encourage the integration of digital technologies, entrepreneurship, innovation and applied research into programme delivery.
“Our graduates must not only be employable; they must also be capable of creating employment, developing practical solutions and providing professional services that address environmental and public health needs within their communities,” he said.
Baba said successful implementation would require adequate funding, institutional commitment and sustained stakeholder cooperation.
He appealed to the Federal and State Governments, educational institutions, development partners and the organised private sector to support laboratories, equipment, digital learning facilities, scholarships, research grants and practical training opportunities.
“Environmental health professionals occupy a strategic position in Nigeria’s preventive health system.
“Strengthening their education and professional competence will directly contribute to reducing preventable diseases, improving productivity and building healthier and more resilient communities,” he said.
Baba said EHCON remained committed to ensuring that the curricula produced professionals who were technically competent, ethically responsible, innovative and capable of responding to society’s evolving needs. (NAN)
