On Thursday, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) established the Nigerian Polytechnics Foundation Council and disbanded the old steering committee.
In his inauguration speech, NBTE executive secretary Idris Bugaje stated that NIPOF was created to solve the serious issues affecting polytechnics in Nigeria.
Mr Bugaje stated that its objective was to help the institutions attain worldwide standards for excellence in education, innovation, and research. He stressed that the world was rapidly changing, and that education must adapt to suit the requirements of the 21st century, making the NIPOF’s role critical.
Mr. Bugaje added that the NIPOF’s mission was to begin and reinvigorate polytechnic education by encouraging academic innovation. It will also improve institutional capacity, encourage industrial collaboration, and facilitate international partnerships and collaboration.
Through efforts of the NIPOF’s council, he said, NBTE aimed to transform polytechnic education nationwide. This is to ensure that graduates are equipped with the technical skills required for Nigeria’s industrialisation and possess the global competencies needed to thrive in the international labour market.
Mr Bugaje stated that the idea for establishing the foundation originated from one Monday Makhuoga.
Mr Makhuoga has worked as a training consultant for NBTE for many years and attempted to organise equipment donations from the United States.
To ensure the success of NIPOF, the NBTE president urged all polytechnics to support the foundation, particularly during take-off.
The chairman of NIPOF, Ahmed Abdullahi, stated that Nigerian polytechnics needed adequate equipment. He stated that his leadership of the council will ensure that both private and public polytechnics benefit from equipment, as well as expand NIPOF’s membership in the diaspora.
