Department of Animal Health & Production Technology

Goals and Objectives

The National Diploma programme in Animal Health and Production Technology is designed to produce technicians who will be able to apply generalized scientific knowledge and skills in animal management and increased production. On the completion of this programme in animal health and production technology, the diplomats should be able to:

Objectives

On the completion of the programme the diplomates of ND in Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technology should be able to:

• Operate medium scale animal farms and carry out associated production processes.
• Identify signs of disease processes in animals and necessary first aid processes
• Carry out routine preventive measures and animal products’ inspections; and follow up prescribed veterinary medical treatment.
• Assist veterinary surgeons in veterinary clinics, laboratories and farms
• Carry out primary processing and preservation of animal products.
• Serve as extension workers capable of imparting to farmers the modern techniques of increased animal production.

Entry Requirements

Applicants with any of the following qualifications may be considered for admission into the National Diploma by direct entry:

1. S.S.S.C. or its equivalent (Teachers Grade II, NTC, WASC, GCE, NECO) with four (4) credit level passes in not more than two (2) sittings. The subjects must include Biology/Agricultural Science and any three of the following chemistry, geography, mathematics, economics, commerce statistics, physics, English language. At least a pass in English language, chemistry and mathematics/statistics are necessary.
2. Four (4) passes at credit level in relevant subjects as stated in (i) above obtained at the final examination of on NBTE Recognized preliminary ND programme offered in a polytechnic or similar post-secondary technical institution provided the students admitted into the Pre-ND programme have a pass in English Language.

Admission Requirements

• SSCE/GCE/NECO with credits in English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Agricultural Science/Biology.
• ND holders in related disciplines may be considered for HND entry.
• Successful applicants must pass departmental screening and meet the institution's general admission rules.

Conditions of Award

Institutions offering accredited programmes will award the National Diploma to candidates who successfully completed the programme after passing prescribed course work, examinations, diploma project and the students industrial work experience.

Such candidates should have completed a minimum of between 72 and 80 semester credit units depending on the programme.

Diplomas shall be classified as follows: -

Distinction - GPA of 3.50 and above Pass - GPA of 2.00 - 2.49
Upper Credit - GPA of 3.00 - 3.49 Fail - GPA of below 2.00
Lower Credit - GPA of 2.50 - 2.99

Curriculum

The structure of the ND programme consists of four main components. These are: -

• General Studies / Education
• Foundation Courses
• Professional Courses
• Supervised Industrial Work Experience Scheme

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The General Education component shall include courses in:

• Art and Humanities - English; Language, History and Communication Social Studies-Citizenship (the Nigerian constitution) political science, sociology, philosophy, geography, entrepreneurship, philosophy of science and sociology are compulsory.
• Physical and Health Education - (One semester credit only)
• The general education component shall account for not more than 15% of total contact hours of the programme.
• Foundation courses includes courses in Economics, Mathematics, Pure Science, Computer application, Technical drawing, etc. The number of hours will vary with the programme and may account for about 10-15% of the total contact hours.
• Professional Course are courses which give the student the theory and practical skills he/she needs to practice his/her field of calling at the technician/technologist level. These may account for between 60-70% of the contact hours depending on programme.
• Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) shall be taken during the long vacation following the end of the second semester of the first year.

Curriculum Structure

The structure of the ND programme consists of four semesters of classroom, laboratory, workshop activities in the college and field trip to an integrated farm; and a semester (3-4 months) of supervised Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). Each semester shall be of 17 weeks’ duration made up as follows:

• 15 contact weeks of teaching i.e. lecture recitation, practical exercises, quizzes, tests, field trip examinations and registration.
• SIWES shall take place at the end of the semester of the first year.

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Accreditation

The programme offered shall be accredited by the NBTE before the diplomates shall be awarded the diploma certificate.

Details about the process of accrediting a programme for the award of the ND or HND are available from the Executive Secretary National Board for Technical Education, Plot ‘B’ Bida Road, P.M.B. 2239, Kaduna, Nigeria.

Guidance Note for Teachers Teaching the Programmes

The new curriculum is drawn in unit courses. This is in keeping with the provisions of the National Policy on Education which stress the need to introduce the semester credit units which will enable a student who so wish to transfer the units already completed in an institution of similar standard from which he is transferring.

In designing the units, the principle of the modular system by product has been adopted: thus making each of the professional modules, when completed provides the student with technician operative skills, which can be used for employment purposes.

As the success of the credit unit system depends on the articulation of programmes between the institutions and industry, the curriculum content has been written in behavioral objectives, so that it is clear to all the expected performance of the student who successfully completed some of the courses or the diplomates of the programme. There is a slight departure in the presentation of the performance based curriculum which requires the conditions under which the performance is expected to be carried out and the criteria for the acceptable levels of performance. It is a deliberate attempt to further involve the staff of the department teaching the programme to write their own curriculum stating the conditions existing in their institution under which the performance can take place and to follow that with the criteria for determining an acceptable level of performance.

Departmental submission on the final curriculum may be vetted by the Academic Board of the institution.

Our aim is to continue to see to it that a solid internal evaluation system exists in each institution for ensuring minimum standard and quality of education in the programmes offered throughout the polytechnic system.

The teaching of the theory and practical work should, as much as possible, be integrated. Practical exercises, especially those in professional courses and laboratory work should not be taught in isolation from the theory. For each course, there should be a balance of theory to practice in the ratio of 50:50 or 60:40 or the reverse.