The Presidential Committee on NEEDS assessment of
Nigerian Public Polytechnics and Colleges of Education has
recommended the removal of dichotomy between Higher
National Diploma, HND, and the university first degrees.
The committee, in its report submitted to the Federal
Government in Abuja yesterday, also advised that the
curriculum of polytechnics should be regularly reviewed to
address changes in industry and the demand in society.
Director, Tertiary Education, Federal Ministry of Education,
and Chairperson of the committee, Mrs. Hindatu Abdullahi,
said part of the recommendations was that the National
Board for Technical Education, NBTE and National
Universities Commission, NUC, should develop standards for
the award of Bachelor of Technology, B.Tech, by the
nation’s polytechnics.
She added that the committee also recommended
autonomy for deserving colleges of education to degree-
awarding status, as well as increase enrolment of students
into their programmes.
“The National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE,
should ensure that all colleges of education running degree
programmes should have not less than 60 per cent Ph.D
holders of the total academic staff strength for each of the
degree courses; and provision of Centres for Educational
Technology, CET, with all the requisite facilities,” Mrs.
Abdullahi stated.
The report of the committee also revealed that in the
schools visited, “all categories of physical facilities are
grossly inadequate, while available ones are utiliaed beyond
installed capacity.
“Some vital learning resources are completely unavailable;
the enrolment policy of 60:40 ratio for Science and Arts-
based courses in Colleges of Education and 70:30 in favour
of Science/Technology and Arts/Social Sciences in
polytechnics are not implemented.
“In some institutions, the teacher-student ratio is low; most
of the institutions do not have on-campus hostels, while the
available ones are overcrowded, poorly lit and not
adequately ventilated, and in a state of disrepair; municipal
facilities are inadequate and in poor condition.
“Based on these findings, the following recommendations
cut across the polytechnics and colleges of education:
Completion of abandoned and on-going projects;
rehabilitation and upgrading of facilities, infrastructures that
are in the state of disrepair; provision and rehabilitation of
students through public-private partnership.
“Recruitment of qualified teachers and training/re-training of
personnel; provision and upgrading of internet connectivity,
tele-communication and information services; provision of
essential learning resources/materials; all polytechnics and
colleges should be linked to the National Power Grid and
provide alternative/support of power in libraries,
laboratories, workshops and studios; review of the laws
establishing these institutions; the following
recommendations are specific to polytechnics,” the report
stressed.
Abdullahi informed that the report would assist the
government in repositioning the institutions for effective and
efficient teaching, learning research and community
services, in line the federal government’s transformation
agenda and global best practices.

this is a nice development, if this is true abeg all poly students make una vote for gej ooooo