ASUP Federal Polytechnic Oko Concludes International Conference; Proposes Six-Pillar Framework to Transform Nigerian Polytechnic Education

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ( ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Oko, has held a three day International (Hybrid) conference aimed at brainstorming on the various ways to recalibrate Polytechnic education in Nigeria.

The Conference which was held from 25th - 27th March, 2026 commenced with opening ceremonies at the new ASUP Secretariat complex, Federal Polytechnic Oko with the theme: "Recalibrating Polytechnic Education for Sustainable Development"

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Dr. Chioma Irene Awuzie who was the keynote speaker, while speaking on the theme of the conference, regretted that Polytechnic students and staff produce thousands of research projects and prototypes annually but only few progress to commercialisation.

The Rector who spoke through the Deputy Rector Academic, Dr. Nkiruka Akabuike however opined that the only way to recalibrate Polytechnic education in Nigeria is to follow the six Pillar framework for Institutional transformation which she identified as competency- based curriculum design, applied research commercialisation, performance -based governance and infrastructure functionality.

Other pillars according to the Rector include: industry embedded training, digital governance and pedagogy.

Dr. Awuzie argued that Nigeria Polytechnic education is not a failed system but rather an under-optimised rhetoric without measurable transformation which according to her, leads to stagnation. 

She concluded by emphasising that Nigeria Polytechnics can become engines of sustainable development and economic transformation if Polytechnics can align policy ambition with Institutional capability, incentive -based governance and industry partnership.

In her presentation, one of the lead paper presenters and former Head, Department of Mass Communication, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof Angela Nkiru Nwammuo stated that Polytechnic education in Nigeria today stands at crossroads as Polytechnics stands the risk of losing its relevance. She noted that Polytechnic education was established to provide technical manpower, practical solutions and technical know-how for national development.

She identified curriculum outdatedness, inadequate infrastructure, no research and institutional collaborations, policy and regulatory gap and weakening industry as major challenges confronting Polytechnic education in Nigeria.

She noted that the only way to recalibrate Polytechnic education in Nigeria is to modernise the curriculum, introduce interdisciplinary courses and infrastructural development adding that recalibration requires courage and collaboration of all stakeholders.

The chairman of the occasion, Comrade Chibuzo Asomugha and the national President of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja represented by the Zonal coordinator, Dr. Richard Iloma commended ASUP CEC for organising such international ( hybrid) conference, describing the theme as apt. They called on the conferees to pay rapt attention to the keynote speaker and the lead paper presenters.

In his address of welcome, the ASUP chapter chairman, Barr. Fidelis Oduah said the CEC assembled the stakeholders to brainstorm and cross-fertilize ideas on the now and the future of Polytechnic education in Nigeria.

He questioned why Polytechnics in Nigeria are poorly funded with darth of infrastructure and why the Polytechnic graduates don't have equal employment opportunities and platforms with their university counterpart.

He also questioned the dichotomy between HND and University certificates in Nigeria, stating that the conference intends to navigate and come out with scientific and robust answers to the questions above.