BY
MADUKAIRO EZIUBOCHI
The concept of education in the Nigerian context is somewhat ambiguous. This accounts for many woes hampering the development of the system. Educationists have a dispassionate overview of what education is. In fact, to them, education is all about a desirable change in behaviour. This widely treasured change stems from the acquisition of certain traits overtime. In a bid to achieve a paradigm shift in the country’s educational system, The Federal Polytechnic Statue enacted Decree No. 33 of 1979 as amended by Decree No. 5 of 1993, to give legal basis for the establishment of Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria. The principal aim for the establishment of Polytechnics in Nigeria is to turnout the middle-level manpower needed for industrial and technological development of the country.
No meaningful national development could be achieved by any nation without sound and qualitative technical education.
No wonder, Prof. Uba Nwuba, one time Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko posited that the bedrock of technical emancipation for Nigeria is centred on Polytechnics education. Polytechnics offer highly technical, scientific as well as research-oriented education to students. It is disheartening to observe today that these citadels of learning which were once cynosure of all eyes in developed economies of the world, has been relegated to the background in Nigeria. Nearly all the State-owned Polytechnics are just a little above the secondary school level, infrastructural wise, due to lack of adequate funding by successive administrations. Most Nigerian Polytechnics are synonymous with structural decay occasioned by neglect and misplaced priority on the part of the government on one hand and society on the other.
A situation where Polytechnics graduates are looked down upon, because of the discrepancies existing between BSc and HND certificate has contributed greatly to the undermining of this all-important educational sector of the country. In most establishments, whether private or public, theb discrimination exists at the point of entry and during promotion, with no recourse to individual talents and efficiencies. The move by the National Assembly in conjunction with the Ministry of Education to remove the disparity between BSc and HND certificates is a positive step to address the challenge. Unfortunately , the debate was dropped and swept under the carpet no sooner had it began. Also the conversion of three regional Polytechnics into City Universities by the Federal Government is noble. As a result, Yaba School of Technology Lagos, known as Yaba Tech and Kaduna Polytechnic have so far been converted and would henceforth commence the award of Bachelor of Technology known as B. Tech. to graduates. However, efforts should be made to ensure that one of the Federal Polytechnics in the East be also converted into city university.
Government should as matter of urgency, bridge the gap in funding Universities and Polytechnics. There is the need to also ensure that adequate funding should be made available to Polytechnics to enhance their capacity in the area of research. Furthermore, government should consider the setting up of National Polytechnics Commission NPC for effective monitoring and supervision of Polytechnics. On its part, ASUP should put its acts together and form a common front while presenting its demands to government. Nigerian Polytechnics should be encouraged to run Post Graduate Diplomas and Masters Degree programmes, especially in their respective areas of specialization as being practised in many developed countries. After all, most policy makers in Nigeria who look down on the sector obtained their PGD, Masters and PHD from Polytechnics outside the country. This is a pointer to the importance of such education in our country which should not be toiled with.
Source: Recorded live from FRCN daily commentary
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