Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Competency-Based Curriculum Design has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with relevance of curriculum to labour market needs. This growing interest reflects the recognition that competency-based curriculum design does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected States in South-West Nigeria.

Selected States in South-West Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While competency-based curriculum design is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on relevance of curriculum to labour market needs within Selected States in South-West Nigeria remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to competency-based curriculum design are helping or hindering relevance of curriculum to labour market needs — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Competency-Based Curriculum Design on relevance of curriculum to labour market needs in Selected States in South-West Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which competency-based curriculum design influences relevance of curriculum to labour market needs within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with competency-based curriculum design in relation to relevance of curriculum to labour market needs.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing competency-based curriculum design in order to improve relevance of curriculum to labour market needs.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of competency-based curriculum design on relevance of curriculum to labour market needs in Selected States in South-West Nigeria?
2. To what extent does competency-based curriculum design influence relevance of curriculum to labour market needs within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with competency-based curriculum design in relation to relevance of curriculum to labour market needs?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize competency-based curriculum design in order to improve relevance of curriculum to labour market needs?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around relevance of curriculum to labour market needs. For managers and practitioners within Selected States in South-West Nigeria, the study provides practical insight into how competency-based curriculum design can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on curriculum studies by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected States in South-West Nigeria, focusing specifically on how competency-based curriculum design relates to relevance of curriculum to labour market needs within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.