Amidst funding challenges, Nigerian govt establishes new polytechnic in Abuja

Despite persistent funding challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, the federal government has approved the establishment of a new federal polytechnic in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced in a letter to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, that the new institution would be named after President Bola Tinubu and sited in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

Mr Alausa requested that Mr Wike suggest a suitable location for the polytechnic’s temporary and permanent sites to facilitate its commencement.

The letter reads in part: “In addition, the technical team from the Federal Ministry of Education and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) would be visiting the sites to review and inspect the recommended locations, and based on the report presented by the team, the approval will be given.
“Perhaps I should add that the Ministry, at this point, encourages takeover of existing Tertiary institutions if the Minister wishes.”

Funding challenges

Nigerian tertiary institutions, including polytechnics, have suffered years of underfunding by the government, often pitting workers’ unions against the government.

For over a decade, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have embarked on strikes seeking better pay for their members.
These industrial actions have repeatedly disrupted academic calendars and affected students, making expensive private tertiary institutions more appealing

ASUP is yet to resolve some of its issues with the Nigerian government, which include the non-release of the second tranche of the NEEDS Assessment intervention funds, non-review of the schemes of service for polytechnics and non-conclusion of the FGN/ASUP 2010 agreement renegotiation process, which covers pay for polytechnic lecturers.

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Declining interest in polytechnic education

Meanwhile, polytechnic education in Nigeria appears to be declining as a larger percentage of applicants to Nigerian tertiary institutions shun them for universities, according to applications from the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), which coordinates the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

In 2023, for instance, over 90 per cent of candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions opted for universities, leaving less than 10 per cent vying for a place in polytechnics and colleges of education.

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In recent years, state governments have also converted some of the polytechnics in their domains to universities.

The Lagos State Government, for instance, upgraded the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) to the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH).

The Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, has also been upgraded to the Delta State University of Science and Technology.