The Federal Government has said that N30 billion has been approved for the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education across the country.
Mallam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, made the disclosure at a round table with the theme, ‘Repositioning Nigeria’s Polytechnics for National Relevance and Global Competitiveness,’ organised by ASUP in Abuja.
Recall that the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, had variously agitated for better welfare for members.
The Executive Secretary, National Board of Tertiary Education, Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary, National Board of Tertiary Education, who represented the Minister on the occasion, said the fund was intended to address the challenges in polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.
Adamu said, “I am glad to report that as part of the realization of the pivotal role of polytechnics to the advancement of Nigeria, Mr President has approved the sum of 30billion naira to ameliorate the challenges facing polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria.
“The Ministry is working hard to ensure the release of this amount to the respective institutions.”
The minister urged the tertiary institutions’ unions to focus on capacity building through skill development than on certification.
In his welcome address, the President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe, urged the Federal Government to discontinue indiscriminate proliferation of polytechnics and focus on funding and developing the existing ones.
The ASUP President lamented that polytechnics were fast becoming mere constituency projects established to satisfy political convenience rather than for educational development and national growth.
Ezeibe said, “We do not agree with the continued establishment of new Polytechnics on the largely unsubstantiated premise of providing greater access to tertiary education for young Nigerians as the existing ones remain unattractive to young Nigerians.
“Our Polytechnics are fast becoming mere constituency projects established to satisfy political convenience.
“Our Polytechnics are currently facing an identity crisis as we are not convinced that sectorial mandates as envisioned in the National Policy on Education are being met. Our products are underappreciated, discriminated against and traumatized by the prospects of an uncertain future after their training.”
