Category: Education

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has encouraged polytechnics, other technical institutions and stakeholders under its regulatory purview to embrace technology-driven digitalisation processes for its new digital accreditation. But, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) President, Mr. Shammah Kpanja and other lecturers have listed ways to transit from physical accreditation to a digital model for an efficient, effective and transparent quality assurance exercise, Bola Olajuwon, Assistant Editor, and Damola Kola-Dare report

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has announced that, effective from this month, there will be no more physical accreditation or other quality assurance activities in the institutions under its purview.

The NBTE, in a statement by the Head of Media Unit, Fatima Abubakar, said the board had fully transitioned to a digital platform for all quality assurance processes in accordance with the Federal Government’s digital-driven policies.

She added that this was also in line with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

According to her, the digitalisation policy has recorded success, with a substantial increase in institutions, with stakeholders engaging the digital system now totaling 489.

She said the board had also completed digital assessments and documentation processes for 17 institutions across the six geo-political zones, with approvals granted accordingly.

“Digital monitoring has been introduced to ensure strict compliance with established standards.

“The NBTE’s digitalisation drive, led by the Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, aims to deliver more efficient, effective, and transparent quality assurance processes, ensuring cost-effectiveness and integrity,” Abubakar  said.

Board and technology-driven quality assurance process for TVET institutions

The board had also unveiled a technology-driven quality assurance process for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. This approach leverages technology in all quality assurance activities, reduces personnel deployment, and minimises physical contact, it was gathered.

“This transition has led to a significant increase in digital activities on the platform and has been largely successful. Some of the successes recorded so far by the digitalisation policy of the board include increased engagement, completion of digital assessment and digital monitoring,” the NBTE said.

Based on the new initiative, the NBTE encouraged polytechnics, other technical institutions, and relevant stakeholders under its regulatory purview to embrace the technology-driven digitalisation processes for a more efficient, effective, and transparent quality assurance exercise.

How to effectively implement new strategy, by ASUP, poly lecturers

Concerned Nigerians are questioning whether the board has deployed necessary digitalisation infrastructure for quality assurance monitoring.  They queried whether the board had acquired the appropriate ICT facilities; trained its personnel; ensured that the institutions are adequately sensitised on the way and manner the digitalisation process will be implemented.

Commenting on this, President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Mr. Shammah Kpanja, said the digitalisation drive of the NBTE was a welcome development in this era of technology. He, however, called on the board to put certain measures in place to ensure a seamless operation.

Kpanja urged the board to acquire the appropriate ICT facilities, train its personnel adequately; ensure that the institutions are properly sensitised on the way and manner the digitalisation process will be done.

He said: “As you already know, we are now in the era of digitalisation. Therefore, the effort by NBTE to adopt digitalisation in the accreditation of programmes in polytechnics and monotechnics is a welcome development.

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“However, there are basic things the board should ensure are put into consideration before digitalisation is deployed in the quality assurance monitoring. Some of these things are: the board should acquire appropriate ICT facilities in its office; train its personnel; ensure that the institutions are adequately sensitised on the way and manner the digitalisation process will be done.

“I believe if some of these things are done with due diligence, the digitalisation process will be done seamlessly.”

For ASUP Chairman, Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic (AAPOLY), Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, Comrade Kotoye Afolabi, there will be initial problems and glitches, because the process is data-intensive. According to him, there will be uncertainty among institution heads as to how it will work out. He noted that the efforts and desire of institutions would make it succeed in the long run.

“Whatever human beings start will always have issues surrounding it; sometimes, we call it teething problems. So, the digital accreditation might not be an exception. I expect that, once that kind of thing kicks off, there will be initial teething problems, technical issues and bureaucratic issues. l am aware there will be initial problems. I also expect it to succeed in the long run, if all the stakeholders are sincere enough and really want it to work. We in the polytechnic sector can make it work.

“Teething problems, based on the accreditation format, may be data intensive. So, we expect technical glitches from institutions. Then, there is bound to be uncertainty among institution heads. There’s that sense of uncertainty; nobody knows how it is going to work out. So, all of them are trying to play safe, one way or the other. Many of the rectors and institution heads will not want to be used as scape-goats for the kind of project because they don’t know the format it is going to take.

“But if we find one or two institutions who can risk it, I think it will be worthwhile at the end of the day. While NBTE is saying it will reduce overhead, cut cost and reduce travelling, at the end, it might not be so . We will see as time goes on. By and large, I expect initial problems and I also expect we in the polytechnic sector will make it work, if we put our hearts to it,” he said.

For former ASUP President, Anderson Ezeibe, a policy document on the process is imperative for proper assessment. He said a policy document would show its feasibility and if it would be 100 per cent digitalisation or whether it will involve physical activities.

He said: “One can only interrogate that position if we get the policy document on it. We have not seen the policy document. We don’t know if it has been made public or issued to institutions. However, on face value, it sounds good that the processes will be cost effective and efficient. It is when we see the policy document that is when we can assess the feasibility of the 100 per cent digitalisation of the process,  whether it would be digital in part or also involve some form of physical exercise. So, it’s when we see the policy document, then we can see how effective it will be. For now, we don’t have a position because we have not been fully involved in it as per the policy document.”