THE need for Nigerian Polytechnics to fulfill their core
objective has been brought to the fore, as the Minister of Education, Mallam
Adamu Adamu, tasked polytechnics to live up to expectations on technical and
vocational education.....
Speaking during the 31st convocation ceremony of Yaba
College of Technology, YABATECH, Lagos, he said: “Technical and Vocational
Education is the bedrock of any nation. It plays a key role in economic
empowerment of a nation.” According
to him, polytechnics have to live up to their mandates and be responsive to the
challenges of nation-building particularly at a time when the country is coming
out of economic recession. The minister who was represented by the Director of
Tertiary Education, Dr. Ojo Samuel, maintained that educational institutions
must embrace the research culture, adding that technological innovation must
originate from the ivory tower. He disclosed that government on its part has
put in place structures to support technological innovation through grants and
interventions from institutions like Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Petroleum
Technology Development fund and others. Numerous research grants He charged
researchers in tertiary institutions to endeavour to avail themselves of the
numerous research grants, fellowships and other such opportunities from
Foundations and Agencies around the world. He reiterated that undertaking such
research and innovation initiatives would contribute to knowledge and promote
economic and technological development. Adamu, however, explained that before
such goal could be met, synergy must exist between the industry and the
academia on one hand, and collaboration between academic institutions and
agencies on the other hand. He pointed out that agencies like the National
Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is important so the
locally generated technologies like students projects can be promoted. He
said,“The nation is in dire need of technological development which must originate
from the academic institutions. It will be recalled that a few years ago,
students of a Nigerian university built a vehicle that participated
successfully in Shell Eco-Marathon in the Netherlands. This is evidence that
our academic institutions have the capacity, through research and innovation to
solve our developmental problems. How have we leveraged on this to move on to
the next level? “Academic institutions should be at the forefront of
fabricating the tools and implements required in industries through innovation
and a process of adaptation and domestication of technology. In this regard,
academic institutions should proactively access the equipment fabrication
intervention of TETFund. This is an area that must be addressed seriously by
managers of our higher institutions. Leading higher institutions in the world
are well noted for their contributions to development through their research
and innovation initiatives. “It is for this reason that the present
administration places high premium on technical and vocational education.
Besides, the quality of the academic programmes offered must control progress
along global trends in order for the graduates to compete effectively and
remain relevant in the world of work.” To achieve this, he continued, “Regulating
agencies must continue to monitor the programmes to ensure that prescribed
standards are met, particularly in the areas of staffing, curriculum, library
facilities and infrastructure such as classrooms, laboratories, workshops and
studios. New and relevant programmes must therefore continue to evolve in
accordance with the dynamics of a rapidly changing world. “For education to
make meaningful impact in any nation, there must be collaboration between
educational institutions and employers of labour. This synergy is what will
give direction in the development of curricula and also enhance the teaching
and learning process. Lecturers must also live up to expectations as surrogate
parents, mentors and role models for our students.” Growth and expansion The
minister, however, lauded the management of YABATECH for its responsiveness in
introducing new programmes in the past eight years. He tasked the institution
to consolidate, sustain and develop the programmes to form a pedestal for
national development. Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of Council,
YABATECH, Prince Lateefat Fagbemi (SAN) said that while it was evident that
YABATECH has witnessed tremendous growth and expansion in recent times, it was
not yet uhuru. He said, “We still have a long way to go in delivering an
instruction of world reckoning that can stand toe-to-toe with its global
peers.” He averred that polytechnic education is meant to provide a country
with the needed technical manpower for the advancement of technology and economic
empowerment, adding, “It is also a veritable means of solving the unemployment
problem that has long plagued our country.” Meanwhile, the Rector, YABATECH,
Dr. Margaret Kudi Ladipo, in her convocation speech disclosed that the
institution graduated 9,021 in the 2015/2016 academic session. She said: “At
the Higher National Diploma full-time level, we have 64 students who graduated
with Distinction, 716 with Upper Credit, 1,145 with Lower Credit and 283 with
Pass. Also at the Higher National Diploma, part-time level, we have three
students who graduated with Distinction, 86 with Upper Credit, 192 with Lower
Credit and 71 with Pass. “Moreover, at the National Diploma, full-time level,
we have 102 students who graduated with Distinction, 985 with Upper Credit.
1,002 with Lower Credit and 260 with Pass. In all, 249 earned Distinctions,
2,538 emerged with Upper Credit, 4,330 with Lower Credit and 1,904 obtained
Pass grade.”
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