Abstract: There has been a steady economic decline in Nigeria, right from the early 80s, with a resultant decline in government`s funding of Universities and research institutions. Yet, Universities and research institutions in the country are import-based, with regard to equipment for teaching and learning in laboratories and studios. Thus, there has been a progressive dearth of equipment, for instance, in arts departments in Nigerian Universities because of lack of to replace or restore broken-down imported gadgets. This study believes that the Nigerian economy can no longer sustain the direct importation of equipment and that, to achieve sound education, the more sustainable alternative is to design and fabricate appropriate local equipment for studies in arts departments in Nigerian Universities. The study uses data generated from graduating Bachelor`s Degree students` projects in the Theatre Arts Department, University of Calabar from 1980-2003 to show the undue emphasis on theoretic work and the avoidance of projects aimed at designing and fabricating local technologies in lieu of the no-longer affordable imported equipment. The study then spells-out the need to emphasise practical work and experimental projects, among Bachelor`s Degree research students of the arts, with the aim of designing and fabricating local technologies for teaching/practicing visual arts in Nigeria.