Rector, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Mr. Obafemi Omokungbe, has bemoaned poor perception of polytechnic education despite the willingness of the Federal Government to remove the dichotomy between Higher National Diploma certificate and university certificate.
Omokungbe delivered a lecture at the third combined convocation and 16th anniversary ceremony of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic (AAP), Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.
A total of 4,802 students graduated at the institution.
The lecture was entitled: Polytechnic education: Achievement and the global expectations.
” The perception of polytechnic education in Nigeria is not what one should be proud of. Many,even among policy makers still view polytechnic education as inferior compared to university education. This inequality and perception continue even when government has stated its willingness to remove the dichotomy between polytechnic HND certificate and university B.Sc.,” he said.
Omokungbe also identified movement of staff to better and lucrative agencies as part of the bane of polytechnics.
He stated that polytechnics have the potential for producing nationally relevant and globally competitive manpower, hence,he urged them to key into the mandate with which they were established.
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology,Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, who represented Governor Dapo Abiodun, noted that the focus of the administration was to revitalise education at all levels in the state.
AAP Rector Prof. Jumoke Bilesanmi-Awoderu said the institution was making progress with staff and student welfare taking top priority.
She, however, urged the state government to increase the subvention to the institution to enhance infrastructural development.
Sarah Olamide Olanipekun, a Mass Communication student graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.91 to emerge the best graduating student of the institution.