Northwest, northeast, south-south missing as NBTE approves 18 new private polytechnics

- The National Board for Technical Education has approved 18 new private polytechnics in Nigeria

- Southwest, north central got seven each while southeast got four

- The northwest, northeast and south-south got none, according to the information from the board

The northwest, northeast and south-south geo-political zones in Nigeria were conspicuously missing as the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) offered operational licences to 18 new private polytechnics.

Daily Trust reports that the north central and the southwest have the lion’s share in the new approval.

Legit.ng gathered that the licences were presented to the proprietors of the institutions in Abuja by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, and the executive secretary of NBTE, Masa’udu Adamu Kazaure, at a brief ceremony.

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It was learnt that this brought to a total of 131 polytechnics in the country, out of which 56 are privately owned. Seven of the newly approved institutions are located in the southwest.

They are: Best Solution Polytechnic, Akure, Ondo state; Ajayi Polytechnic Ikere, Ekiti state; Landmark Polytechnic, Ayetoro, Ogun state; Redeemers College of Technology and Management, Mowe, Ogun state; Saf Polytechnic, Iseyin, Oyo state; Speedway Polytechnic, Lagos state and Timeon Kairos Polytechnic, Lagos state.

The north central too got licences for seven polytechnics: Al-Hikma Polytechnic, Karu, Nasarawa state; Gboko Polytechnic, Gboko, Benue state; Lens Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara state; The Polytechnic Otada Adoka, Benue state; Ashi Polytechnic, Anyiin, Benue state; Citi Polytechnic, Dutse Alhaji, FCT, and Graceland Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara state.

The southeast got licences for Savanah Institute of Technology, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, Uma Ukpai Polytechnic, Asaga Ohafia, Abia state, Grundtvig Polytechnic, Oba, Anambra state, and Mater Dei Polytechnic, Enugu state.

Only two monotechnics: Abuja School of Pension and Retirement Planning, FCT, and Adecom College of Business and Management, Ibadan, Oyo state, received licences at the ceremony.

Four new private colleges of health technology were also approved by government which has increased the number of the health colleges nationwide to 50.

They are New Gate College of Health Science and Technology, Minna, Niger state; Aminu Dabo College of Health Sciences and Technology, Kano state; Emirates College of Health Science and Technology, Kano, Kano state; and Bartholomew College of Health Technology, Shao, Moro, Kwara state. Most of the new institutions will run diploma programmes and higher diploma with time.

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The government further approved 32 Innovation Enterprise Institutions (IEIs) which increased their number to 152, as well as eight Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs), bringing their number to 84.

There are 31 specialised institutions and 119 technical colleges in the country. The private institutions will not get any financial support from government, the minister of state for education, Anthony Anwukah, said.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Nigerian Senate moved to replace the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission of Colleges of Education (NCCE) with new agencies.

The proposal seeks to repeal the NBTE Act and establish the National Commission for Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurial Education (NCTVEE). It was learnt that National Commission for Teachers Education (NCTE) is to replace the NCCE, according the new proposal.

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Source: Legit.ng