‘Calls For Upgrade Of Nigerian Polytechnics A Misplaced Priority’

Against the backdrop of agitation for an upgrade of Nigerian Polytechnics into degree-awarding institutions, the Rector of the Ogun State Institute Of Technology (OGITECH), Igbesa, Dr Abiodun Oluseye, on Tuesday urged the federal government and policymakers in the nation’s educational system not to fall into the temptation of calls for the upgrading of Nigerian Polytechnics into degree-awarding institutions.

Oluseye specifically warned that tinkering with the polytechnic education, which was principally established to train technological graduates needed for the nation’s industrial growth, may spell doom for technical education in the country.

Rather than upgrading polytechnic education into degree-awarding institutions, Oluseye, however, urged policy developers to adopt a more workable approach. Through this approach, the scopes of Polytechnic education will be given the opportunity to award Masters and Ph.Ds, as in some other advanced countries.

OGITECH’s Rector stated these while fielding questions from journalists at a press conference to herald the institution’s 6th combined Convocation ceremony, which was held on Wednesday at the school’s premises in Igbesa, in the Ado/Odo Ota Local Government Area of the state.

Emphasising that traditional degrees are no longer the golden ticket to career success, Oluseye declared that the nation would be moving away from the realities of any aspiration of becoming a country to reckon with in the comity of developed nations.

He stressed, “The world over now needs people with skills, which the polytechnics inculcates in its graduates.

“Employers across industries are shifting their focus away from academic credentials and prioritising hands-on experience, technical expertise and problem-solving skills”.

“The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Polytechnic but of a university status—likewise, the California Institute of Technology (CIT) and many others. We can do the same here in Nigeria, and that is the truth. That is what we need to do in Nigeria, not that we will be changing our polytechnics to universities”.

He said 9,320 students will graduate, with 178 obtaining distinctions and 2,138 others with Upper Credits. He said the institution made significant strides under his leadership, including attaining full accreditation of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for all 46 programmes offered.