The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) noted on Wednesday that the magnitude of research being conducted is not yielding the desired results because the role of polytechnics has been neglected. The board called for a synergy between universities and polytechnics to conduct innovative research that meets societal needs. Executive Secretary of NBTE Prof. Idris Bugaje made the appeal in Abuja during an interactive meeting with rectors and directors of research from polytechnics on the National Research Fund (NRF) grants organized by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
“Research and development is a topical issue. TETFund has created the NRF to drive a high level of research that could lead to innovation. Today, in Nigeria, almost 99.9 percent of these researches do not yield innovation; they end up as journal papers that are merely published and cited,” Bugaje said. He emphasized that “there must be synergy between universities and polytechnics if our research and development is to lead to innovation.” He called for close collaboration and suggested that the NRF allocate a portion of its grants specifically for polytechnic activities, even continuing to fund fundamental research. “NRF must rethink its approach and allocate certain amounts to move our research toward commercialization,” he added.
Also speaking, TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono tasked polytechnics across the country to develop quality research proposals that can be translated into commercial and innovative applications. Echono warned that research is of little benefit to Nigeria if its results are not applied to daily life or used to produce goods and services that create employment, improve living standards, and grow the economy. He highlighted the pressing need for skilled manpower, noting that graduates are being produced in an under‑developed economy but are unable to find employment.
Echono lamented the severe shortage of skills in critical sectors, stating that the country is not producing graduates who are fit for purpose, meet industry needs, or are ready to assume responsibility. He observed that foreign companies are relocating to Nigeria because they cannot find the right manpower to operate, while graduate unemployment remains high. “We continue to produce manpower that the current structure of our economy can no longer absorb,” he concluded.
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