Nigeria’s Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund is looking to overhaul the country’s laws governing technical education.
During an oversight visit to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in Abuja, Committee Chairman Senator Muntari Dandutse said the Senate aims to repeal and update outdated legislation affecting Nigeria’s technical education system.
“We will look at repealing the laws to make them more suited to the goals of innovation in a modern context,” Dandutse said.
The NBTE, established in 1977, currently oversees more than 700 institutions across Nigeria, including 156 polytechnics and 145 monotechnics, according to NBTE Executive Secretary Professor Idris Bugaje.
Dandutse highlighted the importance of polytechnics and technical education in providing practical skills that make young Nigerians more employable and self-sufficient.
“These polytechnics can develop a robust, innovative workforce that will contribute significantly to Nigeria’s growth, especially in engineering,” he noted.
Bugaje mentioned that only Sokoto State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are without federal polytechnics, adding that plans are underway to establish a federal polytechnic in Gwarinpa, FCT.
The proposal has already been submitted to the Minister of Education and will soon be presented to the Federal Executive Council.
“We are proposing a federal polytechnic for Sokoto and FCT, to ensure equal access to quality technical education across all regions,” Bugaje said.
Professor Bugaje also noted the growing momentum to elevate NBTE to a national polytechnic commission, a move that he believes would strengthen the oversight and standards of Nigeria’s technical education.
“We are committed to working with the Senate Committee to achieve this,” he stated.
Bugaje expressed appreciation for the Senate’s support in promoting technical education, emphasizing its importance in driving innovation and reducing unemployment in Nigeria.
