Proprietors of personal polytechnics within the nation have warned towards changing the establishments to universities, urging the Federal Authorities to emulate international locations like China, that are changing their universities to polytechnics.
The group, beneath the aegis of the Affiliation of Personal Polytechnics in Nigeria (APPN), stated it’s crucial to retain polytechnics and adequately fund them, to supply the technical manpower wanted to drive Nigeria’s industrialisation.
President of the APPN, Benjamin Achiatar, who acknowledged this in an interview with reporters, stated supporting technical schooling would give room for extra expert manpower and improve productiveness.
“Different international locations like China are changing universities to polytechnics to fireplace their industries. If we don’t take note of schooling in know-how, we are going to proceed to be importing merchandise from different international locations and paying them cash, rising their economies,’’ Achiatar stated.
In 2017, China transformed an estimated 600 universities into polytechnics,It stated the objective was to supply extra graduates with technical abilities and scale back unemployment.
“A talented technical workforce attracts funding and helps industries that drive financial growth. Not solely does it drive industrialisation, a rustic’s technical capabilities can enhance its standing within the international market,’’ he stated.
Achiatar famous that technical schooling encourages important considering and problem-solving abilities, that are crucial for innovation. He reminded of presidency’s promise to develop the personal sector, saying personal polytechnics characterize one among such.
In keeping with him, if the federal government makes personal sector develop, it would result in development within the Gross Home Product (GDP).
“We pay taxes, therefore we’re in search of help in infrastructure deficits like energy, whether or not photo voltaic, mills or transformers, and likewise water provide by boreholes,’’ he added.
Achiatar appealed that the Nationwide Analysis Fund (NRF) also needs to be opened to all who’ve artistic concepts and improvements, not simply authorities establishments.
Common Secretary of the APPN, Olusola Alalade, stated if polytechnics can supply diploma programs and award B.Tech, it could serve the system higher.
“It means polytechnics can present a workforce for the center stage, for industries, whereas a small proportion can be concerned in superior educational actions like analysis,’’ he stated.
Alalade, who’s the Proprietor of Igbaja Polytechnic, stated analysis grants offered by the Tertiary Training Belief Fund (TETFund) to universities also needs to be made obtainable to non-public polytechnics. He additionally appealed to the federal authorities to increase the Nigeria Training Mortgage Fund (NELFUND) to college students in personal establishments.
