Polytechnics’ problems: Has FG found the solution?

The mission of the founding fathers of Polytechnics and Monotechnics system of education in Nigeria is to produce youths who can be job creators rather than job seekers. However, that mission has, over the years, achieved little or no result largely due to neglect, which the Polytechnics and Monotechnics suffered in the hands of successive […]

The mission of the founding fathers of Polytechnics and Monotechnics system of education in Nigeria is to produce youths who can be job creators rather than job seekers. However, that mission has, over the years, achieved little or no result largely due to neglect, which the Polytechnics and Monotechnics suffered in the hands of successive administrations in the country. The “second class” treatment meted on the graduates of these institutions also compounds the woes of the two systems.

Having realised the importance of the Polytechnic and Monotechnic systems of education, the incumbent minister of education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmad Rufa’i, in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), have embarked on the rehabilitation of the country’s Polytechnics and Monotechnics with the aim of putting them in good shape to achieve their objectives.

Recently, Professor Ruquyyatu Ahmad Rufa’i, the minister of education, visited Kaduna Polytechnic to assess the installation of the equipment supplied to the institution. She said the federal government, this time around, is serious to turn around the country’s Polytechnics and Monotechnics.

“Following the signing of an Aide Memoire,” Professor Rufa’i said, “between the federal government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2000, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and UNESCO embarked on the review of the existing programmes and developed new curricula of offered by our Polytechnics and Monotecnics to bring them in line with the needs of modern industry, along internationally accepted standards.

“The basic thrust of the need for modern equipment was predicated on the fact that, the scientific advances, technological changes and innovations have become the device of the economic performance of any country. The ability to harness the potential of new scientific and technical knowledge and diffuse such knowledge widely has become a major source of competitive advantage, wealth creation and improvement in the quality of life.”

Professor Rufa’i explained that the first phase of the provision of the equipment was carried out in 2005 where equipments were supplied to six Federal Polytechnics and 102 Federal Unity Schools, under the sponsorship of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF). According to her, the second phase was implemented in 2007 where workshop and laboratory equipment were supplied to 62 tertiary institutions.

“However, in the current phase, 111 equipments were supplied to federal and states Polytechnics and Monotechnics, numbering 51. The supply is expected to comprehensively provide the balance of full complement of TVET equipment in the institutions in line with NBTE’s accreditation requirements,” Professor Rufa’i said.

The technology and science equipments supplied to the 51 institutions are worth about N12.5b, according to the minister. And they are meant to replace the obsolete facilities used for the training of students in those institutions to enhance the students’ skills and productivity. If that is achieved, the minister added, the problem of youths relying on government, or even private sectors, for jobs would be reduced to the bearest minimum.

Information available to Sunday Trust indicates that the benefitting institutions have started installing those equipments.

In a recent visit to Kaduna, the Rectors of some of the benefitting institutions have told journalists that the federal government’s efforts in rehabilitating the Polytechnics and Monotechnics in the country would improve the outputs of the institutions and strengthen the quality of their graduates.

The Rector of the Auchi Polytechnic, Dr Idogho described the federal government’s initiative as timely.

“Because technology is changing globally and we must key into the current trend. My institution has a mission of being ICT driven. Therefore, the supply of the new technological and engineering equipment to Polytechnics across the country by the federal government is a welcome development.

“The coming of these equipments is timely for our students because the industry now is changing. They are no longer using those obsolete equipments we have now. They are now using new technology, digital and computer-driven equipments in the industrial sector world-wide. So, with these latest models, I believe they would have great impact in the training of our students, so that when they are out of school, what is obtained in the industry will no longer be new to them”.

The Rector of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Alhaji Mas’ud Elewu also described the initiative as an attempt to hit the nail on the head.

“I think the Government is now hitting the nail on the head. I believe many governments have been paying lip service to technological revolution. And now, this government has come in through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). This attempt would make a very serious impact on the economy in the sense that the products of our institutions will now have the opportunity to have their hands on modern equipments. They can practicalise those things they are taught in theory.

“As soon as they leave the institutions, they go into the labour market; and once they are there, they will be able to put in place some of the things they learnt through these modules. They can create their own outfits. They would be more useful to the industry or wherever they find themselves. It is a question of improving the economy through the practical training of youths in the higher institutions,” Alhaji Elewu said.

He said that the new equipments would enable the Polytechnics and Monotechnics’ students adapt to the new global technological age.

“Students can now see the kind of things, which they would be expected to develop upon when they move out of school.” Alhaji Elewu said. “They would be able to modify some of the practical things they see in real life to suit our own peculiarity. Once they are able to create something; you are developing the country and the economy. In other words, you are bringing new things through technology and we would be known for our own special kind of technology.

“The handsets that we use presently are Asian technology. Nobody thought that the Asians will come up so early. But with some of these equipments and facilities to train our students; the students will begin to see the principles behind this new technology in the world and what is being done in other places. And they will also be able to use it to suit our own needs.”

He said the most important aspects about the new equipments, is the fact that some of them are solar models.

“If you go round our main campus, you will see that both our students and staff have mounted solar energy facilities around the vicinity of our roundabout. It is giving us electricity. Now, what we are planning is to ensure that all the street lights in the main campus are supplied through solar energy. And we want to go further by telling the state government that henceforth if they are giving contract for solar street lights, we are ready to pick it up.

“So, the new equipments for the training of our students on solar energy are big advantage to us. And with this power failure in our country, the new equipments would help train our students to take up the challenges of manufacturing solar panels for domestic consumption, and that is what we call entrepreneurship,” Alhaji Elewu said.

The lingering question, however, is whether these equipments would be maximally utilised and maintained. If the attitude of poor maintenance culture in Nigeria is anything to go by, observers say, the supply of the equipments for rehabilitation of the country’s Polytechnics and Monotechnics may only end up being a mirage if the federal government did not put an effective monitoring mechanism in place. e