Reducing Gender Disparity in Vocational Education in Lagos State through ODL

Abstract

Lagos State is the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria accounting for more than 25% of all economic activities in the country. The State is the major international gateway to Nigeria by air, land and sea. This makes it an attractive destination for rural-urban migrants who seek gainful employment or some kind of trade in order to achieve economic freedom for themselves and their families. To this end, government in collaboration with NGOs and private entrepreneurs has initiated various vocational and technical programmes. In addition, the Lagos State Government has taken the initiative in establishing the Technical and Vocational Education Agency to regulate vocational and technical education in the State. Government efforts notwithstanding, statistics show a glaring disparity in the gender of vocational trainees. This paper seeks to examine the reasons for this disparity and to point out the potentials of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in bringing about a balance in Lagos State. With the aid of statistics, it shall account for the place of Lagos State in the Nigerian economy, the formal vocational training programmes available in Lagos State and gender issues in vocational training. The paper shall also show the relevance of ODL in reducing the levels of disparity and contributing to vocational training and economic empowerment. // Paper ID: 433