Polytechnics To Get N1.5bn Each For Made-in-Nigeria Goods

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) plans to support polytechnics with between N1 billion and N1.5 billion each to establish production lines for locally made goods under an initiative aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports.

The NBTE Director-General, Prof. Idris Bugaje, disclosed this at a strategic session involving the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO), Nigerian tertiary institutions and the organised private sector, organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) in Abuja.

Bugaje said the initiative, tagged One Product, One Polytechnic (1P1P), would require each polytechnic to manufacture at least one product locally.

He argued that Nigeria should be producing items such as wheelbarrows instead of relying on imports, despite having technical institutions and research facilities capable of supporting local manufacturing.

The NBTE chief blamed the disconnect between academic research and industry for the failure of many research findings to translate into commercially viable products.

“Nigerian researchers are not talking to the industry,” he said, urging researchers to involve manufacturers, consumers and other end-users from the beginning of their projects.

Bugaje stressed that polytechnics and technical and vocational education and training institutions deserved greater attention because of their role in developing practical skills for manufacturing, infrastructure and technological innovation.

Citing the Dangote Refinery project, he said the involvement of thousands of Indian workers, including technicians and other skilled personnel, highlighted gaps in Nigeria’s technical education system.

He called for industry-driven curricula, modern laboratories and workshops, and industry advisory boards to ensure graduates acquire relevant skills.

He also advocated partnerships with private companies to provide equipment, promote workplace training and transform institutional workshops into production and repair centres.

Drawing lessons from China’s industrial development, Bugaje said technical institutions should combine classroom instruction with practical production.

He disclosed that proposed amendments to the Polytechnic Act were expected to address discrimination between Higher National Diploma holders and university graduates by enabling polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology degrees while retaining the National Diploma pathway.

Earlier, RMRDC Director-General, Prof. N. Ike-Muonso, called for stronger links between research institutions and industry to maximise the economic value of Nigeria’s resources.

A Tertiary Education Trust Fund representative, Dr. Conforto-Chamberlain, said the fund was prioritising research capable of producing commercially viable products.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ike Willie Nwobu criticised the limited practical exposure of some engineering and agricultural graduates, urging stronger collaboration between higher institutions and RMRDC.

He questioned how graduates could acquire adequate professional competence without practical access to farms, livestock and relevant industrial facilities.

Stakeholders called for sustained collaboration among government agencies, researchers and businesses to turn research into industrial growth.