National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has pledged to erase illegal institutions from Nigeria, and has encouraged Nigerians on patronage. There has been a recommendation of a minimum of 15 percent budgetary allocation to the education sector by the House of Representatives. Adegboyega Isiaka, Chairman of House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, made this disclosure on November 13, 2023, during the committee’s inaugural meeting. He also spoke about the advancement and upgrade of sub-allocation to technical education.
Technical education should be advanced to 30 percent and above of education allocation. This was suggested as the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) assured its commitment towards the elimination of illegal institutions from the sector. Isiaka emphasized that this eradication, as well as other required attitudinal and systemic changes, would set the country on the path of global competitiveness and national growth in the skills market of the 21st century.
24% of students are beneficiaries of poor technical & vocational ed.
More so, it was highlighted by the Chairman that the slow pace of industrial and technological growth in Nigeria could be as a result of the inability of technical educators to ensure the utilization of scientific ideas for the promotion of technology. He also stated that about 24 percent of students are beneficiaries of technical and vocational education. However, this form is considered very low in comparison to many developed and developing nations across the world.
The Chairman noted that the estimated unemployment rate within the youth demographic (18-45 years) was at about 36.5 percent. He added that a distressing 13 million Nigerian citizens are unemployed. Isiaka further said that expatriates from Europe and China, who receive massive sums of dollars to execute several projects in Nigeria, constitute graduates of well-resourced vocational and technical colleges from their home countries. He said that it is necessary for the country to invest its money where it can control it.
Board has taken some decisive measures against Novelty Polytechnic.
This is because average federal allocation to the sector over the last half a decade is estimated at 7 percent. According to the data gotten from the NBTE, the estimated sub-allocation to technical education is only 12 percent from the whole appropriation. This estimate is considered very low, and is likely to show the reason why Nigeria was ranked 124th across the globe and 12th across Africa in the World Education Forum global education system assessments report on 140 countries, including 34 African countries.
Also, the Director, Inspectorate Department of NBTE, Yakubu Ibrahim, highlighted that the Board had gotten many petitions and complaints against the Novelty Polytechnic, Kishi. These petitions alleged that the polytechnic was offering students unapproved programmes also running illegal campuses, which exist either as satellite campuses or outreach centres. Consequently, the Board has taken some decisive measures which have been relayed to the institution. Admission and sales of forms into unapproved programmes should be ended immediately.
There would be no academic advancement for holders of these certificates.
Furthermore, it was asserted by the Board that all new admissions for approved programmes and quality insurance visitations to the polytechnic is on suspension until there is compliance to the decisive actions of the Board. Ibrahim also said that students who become graduates of unaccredited programmes and institutions would not get mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He also said that there would be no academic advancement or career progression for holders of certificates of such programmes.
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