The National Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Anderson Ezeibe, has referred to as for a review of the law establishing polytechnic training in Nigeria to fulfill the rising realities of the nation’s technological improvement.
Ezeibe, who made the decision on Thursday at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, whereas delivering a keynote deal with of the union’s three-day worldwide convention famous that some insurance policies of the Federal Government are demarketing polytechnic training in Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme “Redefining The Mandate Of Polytechnic Education For Economic Diversification And Sustainability”, Ezeibe disclosed that the federal government has tactically killed technological training in Nigeria by way of unfavourable insurance policies.
He listed some of the Federal Government insurance policies working towards polytechnic training, together with the HND/BSc dichotomy, the lack to reinforce educational continuity for HND graduates, and the disparity between HND/BSc holders in authorities circles, amongst others.
The National Chairman of ASUP lamented a state of affairs the place welders have been employed from India for the Dangote Refinery mission on the expense of polytechnic graduates, including that such perspective inspired capital flight whereas homegrown polytechnic manpower walloped in unemployment.
He regretted that the mandate of polytechnic training has failed over time as the federal government has not built-in them into nationwide planning, particularly in the technological improvement drive.
“Negligence of polytechnics mandate has resulted in a high level of unemployment, poverty and poor entrepreneurship.
“Polytechnic education is not encouraged. In some polytechnics, the student population is less than 1,000, while some state governors change their polytechnics to universities instead of developing them.
“Government is demarketing polytechnic education through their policies. The law that established polytechnic education must be reviewed to meet emerging realities in our nation’s technological development,” he stated.
Ezeibe, a lead lecturer on the three-day convention, urged the Federal Government to combine polytechnic training to elevate high quality of life in the sustainable improvement objectives.
“Government should migrate away from monolithic economic model through diversification and promote skills education to meet skill need of the nation,” he stated.
He charged all stakeholders in training to work in synergy to mainstream polytechnic training into the nation’s improvement plan.