Absence of Polytechnic Commission Endangering Technical Education – ASUP
The union, while showing support for the move, said the establishment of the commission will, among other things, hasten the move to ensure that polytechnics also become degree-awarding institutions which will in turn curb discrimination against holders of diplomas from polytechnics.
Binye-lum 
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics on Wednesday said the absence of a standard commission regulating the practice of polytechnics in the country has continued to endanger the education sector.
The union, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Itoro Ekanem, said it was reliably informed of the move by members of the House of Representatives to establish a dedicated commission to oversee the sector.
The union, while showing support for the move, said the establishment of the commission will, among other things, hasten the move to ensure that polytechnics also become degree-awarding institutions which will in turn curb discrimination against holders of diplomas from polytechnics.
“Indeed, the absence of a dedicated commission to concentrate on the proper regulation of polytechnics as one of the legs of the tertiary education tripod has, for several years, been seen as one of the posters of discrimination against Nigeria’s endangered polytechnic system as the other tiers of tertiary education in the country have dedicated commissions in the National Universities Commission and National Commission for Colleges of Education for universities and colleges of education, respectively,” the union said.
Speaking further, the union noted that while the National Board for Technical Education has put in commendable shifts in the direction of this mandate since 1977, “it continues to be challenged by the sheer number of institutions in its portfolio of institutions with the inclusion of other sub-tertiary and vocational training centres under its regulatory portfolio. The number of such institutions currently exceeds 600.
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“It is, therefore, commendable that the House of Representatives views this Bill by Hon. Igariwey and his colleagues as progressive and in furtherance of the need to ensure equity and appropriate fulfillment of the establishment mandates of Polytechnics in the country.
“This same need was recognised by the Federal Ministry of Education in this dispensation as the same was captured in the approved ministerial roadmap for the education sector covering 2024 to 2027.”
The Bill for the establishment of the polytechnic commission which has passed the second reading in the House of Representatives was introduced by Idu Igariwey representing the Afikpo North and Afikpo South Federal Constituency in Ebonyi State.
