Being a Keynote Matriculation Lecture at the first Matriculation/Inauguration Ceremony of Sure Foundation Polytechnic on 27th January, 2017.
Presented By: Senator (Dr.) Ita Enang, SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters - Senate
INTRODUCTION
The development of Polytechnic education is fundamental, if Nigeria must succeed in its quest for economic diversification. The essence of Polytechnic Education is to train students in technical areas where they can graduate and be self-employed, and also create employment for others. Polytechnic education can be a means to an end out of the present economic recession in Nigeria. It can be a tool for securing employment and emancipation of people through the provision and acquiring of necessary knowledge and skills. The role and importance of Polytechnic education in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized and can serve as a panacea to some economic problems. The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari aims at reducing unemployment through entrepreneurial development and the Polytechnic education issine qua non in meeting that target. This paper shall examine the role
ESTABLISHMENT OF POLYTECHNICS
The principal aim for the establishment of Polytechnics in Nigeria is to turnout the middle-level manpower needed for industrial and technological development of the country.
The Polytechnic is established in various parts of the country by an Act of the National Assembly to provide full-time courses in technology, applied science management and other fields of studies, and to make provisions for the general administration of such polytechnics.
Section 1 of Federal Polytechnics Act 2004 (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) provides for the establishment of Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria. It states:
“There are hereby established the Federal Polytechnics specified in the First Schedule to this Act (in this Act severally referred to as "the polytechnic") which shall have such powers and exercise such functions as are specified in this Act.”
FUNCTIONS AND OBJECTIVES OF POLYTECHNIC
Polytechnic education places emphasis on practice-based learning and skills acquisition.
Section 2 of the Act provides for functions of polytechnics, thus:
“(1) The functions of each polytechnic shall be-
(a) to provide full-time or part-time courses of instruction and training-
(i) in technology, applied science, commerce and management; and
(ii) in such other fields of applied learning relevant to the needs of the development of Nigeria in the area of industrial and agricultural production and distribution and for research in the development and adaptation of techniques as the Council may from time to time determine;
(b)to arrange conferences, seminars and study groups relative to the fields of learning specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1);
(c)to perform such other functions as in the opinionq of the Council may serve to promote the objectives of the polytechnic.
(2) Nothing in this section shall preclude the government of a State or any of its agencies from setting up a polytechnic similar to any polytechnic established under this Act.”
The main objective of polytechnic education is the promotion of technical and vocational education and training, technology transfer and skills development to enhance the socio- economic development of the country.
Polytechnic education plays a vital role in human resource development by creating skilled manpower, enhancing industrial productivity and improving the quality of life. It targets the students’ training in courses and programs such as engineering, estate management, architecture, carpentry, woodwork, farm, farming, town planning technology, management, applied arts and crafts, hotel management and catering technology. It equips the student. With small capital and support from corporative, a graduate can setup himself and train people. This became necessary in order to train people who will be good in technical work while others will be in administration, education, teaching etc.
Polytechnic trained graduates are expected by virtue of their training to be more practical in skills unlike their colleagues trained in the universities who are often more theoretical. Industrial Training (IT) exposure gives the academics a chance to seek inputs and feedback from practicing professionals who can provide valuable insight into the skills and abilities students would need in their career. This is why in Polytechnic curriculum, it is compulsory to have industrial attachment or internship for one year after the first two years before returning to complete for the next two years.
Polytechnic education offers an opportunity for students to personally practice the theoretical models in the classroom to enhance their chances of securing employment after graduation. They are to serve the middle-level manpower management needs of the country in the drive towards industrialization and economic diversification.
CHALLENGES
The polytechnics are not first choice institutions for many students because, opportunities for academic progression are limited and public recognition of the Higher National Diploma (HND) was low, but the Buhari administration has harmonized this such that progression of university graduates are the same as Polytechnics.
Even though polytechnics have been producing graduates ever since their establishment, there seems to be no distinctive practical traits exhibited by the polytechnic graduates that distinguish them from the university trained graduates.
President Buhari’s administration is scrutinizing the system in order to identify the gaps created and proffers ways to achieve their mandate of producing practically-oriented graduates to aid the country's industrialization and economic diversification process or agenda.
A situation where Polytechnics graduates are looked down upon, because of the discrepancies existing between BSc and HNDcertificate has contributed greatly to the undermining of this all-important educational sector of the country. In most establishments, whether private or public, the discrimination exists at the point of entry and during promotion, with no recourse to individual talents and efficiencies. The move by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to remove the disparity between BSc and HND certificates is a positive step to address the challenge.
It is interesting to note that the developed countries of Europe and America, including developing ones as China and India owe their technological dexterity to products of their polytechnic/technical institutions.
The Federal and state government is working hard to implement policies that would give the polytechnics their pride of place. Allowing a further disintegration in polytechnic education would consequently, do a great disservice to the country’s development. This government will do its best to bring Nigeria’s polytechnics at par with their peers in other countries.
WAY FORWARD
Since the Polytechnics are expected to give more practical approach to the training of its students, there is therefore the need to come up with more forward-looking and resourceful ways of ensuring that its graduates acquire distinct practical expertise that would distinguish them from their colleagues trained in other similar tertiary institutions such as the universities.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is bringing solution to these challenges by encouraging Polytechnic education by harmonizing the HND and BSc. They are even contemplating making polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology instead of Higher National Diploma (HND) in Technology.
CONCLUSION
Polytechnic education must therefore not be seen in terms of screw drivers and spanners but must be seen as encompassing all fields of applied learning relevant to the needs and development of Nigeria in the areas of knowledge needed in ensuring that resources of all types are efficiently translated into desired products and services.
Some offer education courses in petroleum engineering, petroleum technology which includes how to refine petroleum products. This is the kind of situation that Nigeria will now see need since it is now too expensive to import petroleum products. Government will now be training these people. This is one of the reasons I have been advocating that government should not destroy local refineries which I prefer to call modular refineries (i.e. what they call illegal refineries) but should integrate them into our refining system and allocate crude to them formally instead of sending Navy or Army to destroy them. Buy the crude they produce, test it through the Standard Organization of Nigeria. If it is approved, you buy it and put it into circulation. You do not allow them to produce it and sell straight. When it is integrated in our refining system, those who were trained in petroleum engineering and petroleum technology in the polytechnic and universities will be the heads in those areas.
Those who have been very rich men in the world have been those who were not administrators. They have been those who have had their skills like Henry Ford who established Ford Motors. He had the skills and knowledge and was able to impart it. It is said that it is not the actual doing of the work that he earns from but the knowledge which he imparts in the doing of the work.
In conclusion, I pray that the Government, as a policy, in addition to the co-location policy of mini refineries with mega refineries and to maximally reap the benefits of Polytechnic training, encourage and integrate local or modular refineries into the petroleum refining system of Nigeria.
I had recently submitted as part of the solution to the Niger-Delta crisis as follows on local refineries:
a) Integrated modular refineries now privately owned and operated by locals without license, otherwise called illegal refineries into formal refining system.
b) Accordingly, Government do cease the destruction of illegal refineries and rather engaged in dialogue with the representatives of this group as the actual operators may not come out for the dialogue for fear of set up and arrest.
c) That Government may formally agree to provide Technical assessments and quality appraisal of the products of these refineries and if found of quality, formally purchase same and distribute in her formal distribution channels.
d) Government will officially allocate crude oil to the persons payable in Naira and they will purchase and refine and sell for domestic consumption.
e) If Government does not allocate crude to them, they will take by their means and government will lose the fund from crude and refined products.
f) The concerns for the environment can be addressed by formally allocating land to the refiners, considering and professionally approving the designs of the refining sites and machines which will address environmental concerns of the different products and product lines.
Thank you.
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