The dichotomy between university and polytechnic graduates calls for government attention, as it appears to be one of the reasons many students are not willing to accept admission into Nigerian polytechnics.

Over the years, students seeking tertiary education always wanted to attend universities. Few who are in polytechnics or have graduated from polytechnics did so as a last resort. Stakeholders in the sector are finding it difficult to persuade prospective students that university and polytechnic certificates carry the same weight; but experience shows variance with the claims.
Because of this, there are over one million admission spaces in the polytechnics and colleges of education, students are not willing to accept the offers.
Why students don't want polytechnics: Vanguard
investigations revealed some of the reasons why students do not want the polytechnics. They include the minimum school certificate qualifications requirement for tertiary education. While universities require five credits, including English and Mathematics, polytechnics are satisfied with four credits, to include Mathematics and English. Some polytechnics even accept a pass in English.
Polytechnic entrance exams
Again, when a student sits for the UTME, cut-off marks for universities are always different from the polytechnics and colleges of education. Most times, while the university cut off is 180, it is 150 for polytechnics. This sends wrong signals to admission seekers.
Besides, before the introduction of UTME, students who sat for polytechnic entrance exams wrote three papers, while the university candidates wrote four papers. Thus, while the polytechnic scores are rated on 300, the university is rated on 400 marks.
Apart from this, after the prospective students have been admitted in the polytechnic, they spend a minimum of five years on any course to obtain HND, while the university undergraduate spends four years, while some specialized courses, like engineering take five years, while architecture and medicine, take six and seven years respectively.
Moreover, in the polytechnic system, the Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA, is 4.0, while that of the university is 5.0.
But it is in the labour market that the disparity is quite graphic. For instance, it is interesting to note that the HND holder in the civil service usually does not advance beyond salary GL 13; that means he/she cannot be a director. Even when a polytechnic graduate wants to get a Master's degree, he is often denied admission until he does Post- Graduate Diploma, after which he is qualified.
If you get to most polytechnics in Nigeria, it is the university graduates that are employed as lecturers. The authorities seldom employ polytechnic graduates as lecturers.
FG allocations: Our investigations revealed further that even the Federal Government allocation to the university is higher than the polytechnics. Government is not helping matters, as it often ignores the agitations by polytechnics for months, but respond repidly to universities.
The Visitor of state-owned universities and polytechnics is the governor. But while the governor visits the university during convocation, he seldom visits the polytechnic throughout his tenure. The best he could do is to delegate the Deputy Governor or Commissioner for Special Duties to stand in. All these add to why many admission seekers prefer to remain at home until they get admission in the university. They see the polytechnic as the last resort when all attempts fail. We should not be quick to blame our students, the bulk of the blame should go to our government and policymakers.
Minister of Education could sponsor a bill in this regard to the National Assembly for amendment and the anomaly will stop. Until everyone begins to see polytechnic graduates and university graduates as the same, we will continue to have admission spill-over every year.
Poly students, graduates react
Some polytechnic students and graduates bared their minds:
Bidemi Kalejaiye said: "After I had tried to get admission into the university for four years without success, I decided to go to the polytechnic. I, however discovered that a university graduate is not better than a polytechnic graduate.''
Joshua Yinusa said: "I always desired university education. But after I tried to get admission into the university for two years without success, I accepted polytechnic admission since all my friends whom we did WASSCE together were either in the university or polytechnic. After my NYSC, I will still enrol for a degree course in the university because of the disparities between the polytechnic and university graduates."
Onome Ogheneovo said: "Since I couldn't get what I desired, I decided to like what I have. I tried to get into the university for five years without success. But within a year, I tried the polytechnic, I got it. The requirements were easy to meet."

chrisbaby24:
Ok....we wey no go poly or uni...??!!!!

bro4u:
Millions are graduating from universities with Bsc certificates making the labour market very competitive, you go cum go stand with your ND/HND certificate, lol even faith no go help you...

deliveryboy:


Poly guys always say this, they always compare themselves with unemployed university grads, It's really not about YOU, it's about the majority. Having seen this easily-contented mindset of most polytechnic guys, it goes to show most of them don't have great aspiration, hence, why you don't see them in high places.

Apelex:
.
Atleats you are a student of nairlaind institute nah....
Posting rep at dat

kulrunsman79:
Which one did Buhari attend, university or polytechnic?

uthfaith:
majority of polytechnics lecturers are fucking bullshit. imaging lecturer collecting #50 from each student b4 they could write a test. FUCKING BULLSHIT. I won't mention names