Provost of the Federal College of Education, Odugbo, Professor Joel Obo Eriba, has identified solution to improving science enrolment in tertiary institutions across the country.

Eriba made the disclosure when he delivered an inaugural lecture at the College of Health Sciences in Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi.

His lecture, titled “Improving Science Enrolment in Nigeria’s Institutions of Higher Learning Using the Persuasive Communication Model (PCM),” left the audience spellbound.

He noted in the 18th inaugural lecture of the university, the persistent issue of low enrolment in science courses in Nigeria, despite the long-standing policy favouring a 60:40 ratio in favour of sciences.

The provost using BSU as a case study, posited that the institution had zero enrolments in science courses at its inception in 1992, contrasting with 380 enrolments in Arts and Social Sciences.

He attributed the trend to students’ negative attitudes towards science, emphasising that such attitudes lead to internal rejection and external disengagement from the subject.

Eriba therefore proposed the Persuasive Communication Model (PCM) as a solution, citing its success in changing attitudes in other contexts.

The provost basing his empirical research involving 1,840 JSS 3 students across 44 secondary schools in Benue State, demonstrated the model’s effectiveness in improving attitudes toward science enrolment.

Reacting, the Vice Chancellor of BSU, Professor Tor Joe Iorapuu, commended Professor Eriba’s research and underscored the significance of PCM in addressing the enrolment issue.