The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)

  • OSCOTECH’s 16 programmes for accreditation

    Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke, is seeking the nod of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for its 16 programmes.

    The programmes cut across four schools: Engineering, Business and Management Sciences, Pure and Applied Sciences, and Environmental Studies.

    The fresh courses at both national and higher diplomas include Taxation, Marketing, Public Administration, Environmental Biology, Microbiology/Biology, Biochemistry, Agricultural Technology, Multimedia Technology, Office Technology and Management, Library and Information Science, Agric Bio-Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Computer Engineering, Welding and Fabrication Engineering, Arts and Design and Photographic Technology.

    Addressing the NBTE resource accreditation team on the college campus, the institution’s Rector, Dr. Samson Adegoke, said the programmes are being presented for accreditation to meet NBTE’s standard.

    He disclosed that the reason for introducing the new programmes was to key into the diversification policy of the Federal Government,  designed to move away from  “undue reliance on crude oil”.

    Adegoke said with the new programmes, OSCOTECH would be able to equip youths with  job-creating skills.

    He expressed gratitude to the present and immediate past administrations for supporting the institution to meet its mandate. Adegoke said despite the paucity of funds occasioned by the dwindling prices of crude oil in the world market, the college is “striving hard to meet up with all the requirements of NBTE in providing standard infrastructure that are essential for the accreditation of our programmes and effective teaching of our students”.

    “In line with the guidelines by the NBTE, I am happy to inform you that our Entrepreneurship and Vocational Centre, which started in 2012, is highly functional,” Adegoke said.

    He added: “We have been training students in different vocations since its inception. We have competent resource professionals that are readily available to teach our students.

    “Reports from those who have graduated lay credence to the importance of the scheme because most of them before being gainfully employed have been fending for themselves with the vocation learnt through the centre.”

  • NBTE to address falling standards in polytechnics

    The National Board for Technical Education ( NBTE ) says it will tackle issues that are negatively affecting the standard of technical and vocational training in the country.

    The board’s Executive Secretary, Dr Masa’udu Kazaure, gave the assurance in Kaduna on Wednesday at a meeting with Chairmen and Rectors of state polytechnics.

    The meeting was summoned to discuss critical issues affecting standards especially in states-owned polytechnics.

    Kazaure noted that some of the institutions were running unaccredited courses, enrolling more than their capacity, facing serious funding gaps and have no proper statistics on their activities.

    He added that the polytechnics have unqualified staff, and serious issues with their workers.

    According to him, records from the board’s Quality Assurance Department indicate a worrisome level of continued existence of expired programmes in mostly state-owned polytechnics.

    “This is a serious problem that if left unaddressed would greatly affect our standard.

    “This problem is further compounded by the menace of over enrolment, driven solely by the desire to generate revenue.

    “While there is the need to complement government subvention, education remains a social investment that is quality conscious.

    “The board also observes with dismay, the trending practice of recruitment and promotion of unqualified staff especially in the academics in clear violation of prescribed rules.”

    He stressed that appointment and promotion should not be at the whims and caprices of those in authority but based on laid down rules.

    Read Also: NBTE hails foundation on programme

    “Anything contrary will only water down standards and make our product half-baked.”

    The NBTE boss also identified nonpayment of staff salaries and allowances running into several months and victimisation of union leaders by management as a recurring problem.

    “There is also the problem of increasing wave of management and union conflicts, threatening the smooth running of academic calendars,” he added.

    Kazaure stressed the need for partnership between the board, governing councils, rectors and other relevant stakeholders to solve the problems in order to maintain quality in the system.

    Also speaking, Malam Usman Dutse, President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) thanked the board for organising the meeting with a view to addressing issues affecting quality in polytechnics.

    Dutse, who acknowledged the problems identified by Kazaure, added that the institutions also have poor infrastructure and low staff strength.

    The ASUP president also said the polytechnics have been withholding union dues and were interfering in union affairs.

    He accused state governments of establishing most of the institutions purely on political grounds and now unable to meet minimum standard due to poor funding.

    “In fact, most of the infrastructures in state polytechnics are TETFund projects.

    “Today’s engagement presents a unique opportunity to address these issues which already threatened industrial harmony,” he said.

    On his part, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, Chairman, Committee of Chairmen, Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics, said that the stakeholders must work together to address the problems.

  • Obaseki’s effort to revamp College of Agriculture Iguoriakhi on course

    Our attention has been drawn to the concerns raised over the ongoing revamp of the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, the latest being the worry expressed by Usifo Sebastian Ebhuomhan.

    While Ebhuomhan’s faith in Governor Godwin Obaseki’s capacity to steer our collective destiny to prosperity is commendable, his analysis of the issues underlying the institute’s overhaul, merely scratched the surface.

    To begin, after 18 months as governor of Edo State, most Edo people and residents in the state, who have kept steps with Obaseki’s style of governing, would attest to his inclination towards rigorous research, as the only basis for decision making, not emotions, no matter how compelling.

    So far, all the decisions that have been implemented by the state government in the institute are the outcome of an investigative panel that was set up to dig deep into the affairs of the institute, after an unscheduled visit by the governor exposed the derelict state of the institute.

    The Obaseki administration is not one to be swayed by emotion-laden chorus, no matter how amplified, more so, when the hard and cold facts show a dysfunctional institute where the government was paying lecturers who chose when to go to work, exploited students and did not bat an eyelid over the status of the students whose certificates suffered credibility crisis in the labour market and could not participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme for several years, not to add the fact that the staff of the institute outnumbered the students.

    Governance, for Obaseki, is about taking tough decisions that will engender sustainable growth and development for the largest number of people possible.

    Understandably, tough and reform-oriented decisions are not always popular in the short term but they recruit millions of followers when the gains start kicking in.

    Edo youths deserve an institute of agriculture that can compete with its peers anywhere in the world, and parents who toil to send their children to educational institutions in the state, do not deserve anything less.

    We will not accept anything short of the best standard obtainable in the industry and we will not run an agricultural institute that lacks the capacity to impact market-oriented knowledge and skills.

    We will not take the familiar and easy route, though popular, but fraught with failure, in a matter that is as important as the future of our children.

    Today, we are happy to report that the students of the institute currently undergoing internship in world class agricultural companies across the state are for the first time, enjoying quality hands-on field training that will clearly put them ahead of their peers in the labour market, on graduation.

    Mr. Ebhuomhan also expressed fears over Governor Obaseki’s commitment to create 200,000 jobs, which the governor promised Edo people.

    Ebhuomhan need not worry; we will exceed the 200,000 jobs target. For clarification, our strategy for creating these jobs includes creating the enabling environment for industries and private companies to thrive in the state and create decent direct and indirect jobs and as at today, thousands of such jobs have been created. By the time we roll out our statistics of jobs, much of these quibbling will be silenced.

    If Mr. Evbhuomhan has been following global trends on job creation, he would appreciate the efforts of Governor Obaseki to reposition the respective government agencies that are supervising the influx of companies into Edo State.

    While the state government will employ new staff into the civil service, as is now being done with the recent vacancy advertisements by the Civil Service Commission, published in the VANGUARD Newspaper, page 8; OBSERVER Newspaper, page 19, NATION Newspaper page 32 on May 15th this year, most of the jobs will be created by the private companies.

    As you may be aware, construction has commenced in the 1800 Emotan Garden estate on Upper Sokponba Road in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

    The first phase of the project is expected to be delivered in 12 months and already, the governor has secured a deal with steel and ceramic manufacturing companies in the state to supply their products to the developers of the estate.

    The implication of this deal is that the steel and ceramic companies have a ready market of 1800 housing units to produce for. To achieve this, the companies will increase their operational scale by employing more people to be able to produce and meet market demand. This sort of development chain reaction is what Obaseki is about.

    Meanwhile, that is just one of the many job creation strategies of the Obaseki administration. It is not politics; it is measurable and can be verified by anyone.

    If there is anything the governor has in sufficient proportion, it is the capacity to frugally allocate scarce resources for the best outcomes possible. This cannot be controverted and has never been in dispute.

    This capacity is today manifest in all spheres of our life in Edo, and has been re-echoed by World Bank experts, development actors and informed opinion and thought leaders in the education sector.

    As part of the ongoing restructuring of the Agric college, a new curriculum as well as new faculties have been developed by the state government, an exercise that was carried out by over 10 professors drawn from various tertiary institutions in the country, with expertise in curriculum development.

    The new international standard curriculum for the College is in compliance with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)’s provisions for curriculum. This will qualify the restructured college’s programmes for accreditation.

    Structurally, the college has been redesigned as a multi- campus institution with campuses spread across the three Senatorial Districts of the state, with the main campus in Iguoriakhi. Construction work is set to commence.

    The New College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, will give students and parents real value for their money with its new Information Technology-based curriculum and a rich educational resource center that will be linked to the world.

     

    Osagie, Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

  • Auchi Poly will not compromise standard of education – Rector

    Dr Sanusi Jimah, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi in Edo, has assured that the management will not compromise the institution’s reputed high education standard.

    Jimah said this in an interview with our correspondent on Friday in Benin.

    “As you may be aware, Auchi Polytechnic is among the very few institutions where management considers quality education and high moral values as necessary prerequisite for both staff and students to remain on campus.

    “And that is why since assumption of office, the policy of cleansing the institution is still on,’’ he said.

    According to him, these basic qualities impacted by us have helped to shape the lives and careers of products of the institution, who continue to excel in their different fields of endeavour.

    “Only a few days ago, 1993 graduates from Department of Mass Communication, were here just to say thank you to their former lecturers and management for impacting these basic qualities in them.

    “The former students, many of them now management staff in their different media establishments, recalled the discipline and rigorous teaching and learning methodologies employed then, which today many want to circumvent.

    “But we will not allow the shortcut syndrome anymore. And that is why we are saying there is no hiding place for those not ready to embrace the new order of positive change.

    “ And to demonstrate our resolve in this direction, five members of staff are presently facing disciplinary process for extortion.

    “One staff was redeployed for unethical practices regarding students’ project, four staff had to be compelled to refund money collected from students.’’

    On examination malpractice, the polytechnic in the 2016/2017 session sanctioned 92 students, adding that out  and of the figure, 18 were expelled, 62 rusticated, while eight had carried over courses..

    “Students who present forged or fake credentials to gain admission will not be comfortable here. All the credentials presented during the registration process will be verified.

    “If the credentials are found to be faked, the penalty is expulsion from the Polytechnic,’’ he said.

    The rector said that the present management strongly believed in continuous reviews and updates of the school’s curriculum to meet present national and global challenges.

    “That was why majority of the programmes being run in the institution, due for accreditation were presented to the National Board for Technical Education ( NBTE ) in November were recently accredited by the regulatory body.

    “This thinking is to enrich the curriculum and re-orientate students to be self-employed and create jobs on graduation. Entrepreneurial courses have been introduced in all programmes offered in the institution.’’

    According to him, parents and students should therefore be confident that whatever programme they are reading enjoys accreditation of NBTE.

    “Management is also working to ensure that the block of six class rooms in the School of Art and Design will be completed and put to use in the next two months.

    “Also, landscaping of the School of Engineering is in progress, and expected to be completed in another two months.

    “Within the same period, the School of Environmental Studies is expected to move fully into its new offices,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Auchi polytechnic students seek Buhari’s intervention over rectorship crisis

    Auchi polytechnic students seek Buhari’s intervention over rectorship crisis

    The Students of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately intervene in solving the rectorship crisis in the institution.

    Their appeal was conveyed at a briefing in Abuja at the weekend by a former President of the Student Union Government of the institution, Samson Okoduwa.

    The students had last year staged a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Education over allegations of high-handedness, mismanagement and corruption against the acting Rector, Mr. Sanusi Jimah.

    The students also urged Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu to make public the outcome of the interview conducted for the position of rector in 2016.

    They alleged that the acting Rector was running the institution as a personal office by giving appointments to his friends and cronies.

    A development a source at the institution confirmed, noting that 95 per cent of appointments made by Mr. Jimah favored people from his Auchi region.

    Okoduwa also alleged that students of the institution were not issued identity card in the 2016/2017 session despite management collecting N1,500 naira from them.

    He also alleged that the acting rector failed to conduct an election into the SUG because he wanted to impose a stooge on the students.

    According to him, Mr. Jimah deliberately fixed the SUG election immediately after the second semester examination when all students would have finished their examinations and technically seize to be students.

    Okoduwa noted that a substantive rector would save the already sinking polytechnic.

    He said: “We are again restating/re emphasizing our demand to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Hi Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, intervene in Auchi Polytechnic rectorship issue.

    “The President should direct the Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to as a matter of urgency release the report of the already conducted interview in 2016 at Abuja and appoint a substantive rector for the institution.

    “The delay in the release of the result/report and subsequent appointment of a substantive rector for Auchi Polytechnic is the millennium corruption.

    “The aberration in the appointment of Dr. Sanusi Momodu Jimah as acting Rector by the National Board for Technical Education ( NBTE ) should be withdrawn as the National Universities Commission ( NUC ) has never appointed a Vice Chancellor for any university.

    “This already sinking institution should be salvaged  as it requires an emergency.”

    However, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Mustapha Oshiobugie, said elections into the SUG was deferred because of security reasons.

    He also said the students were issued identity cards to enable them write their second semester examinations.

    Mr. Oshiobugie said: “Election into the executive offices of the students union was deferred because of security reasons.  Departmental and school elections which preceed the union election had been successfully held in five schools.

    “There was violence in the sixth school (School of Engineering).  The reverberations could not be contained before the scheduled sessional examinations which was two weeks away.

    “To the best of my knowledge, students gain admission into examination halls on presentation of their identity cards showing that they are bona fide students of the polytechnic.  The Second Semester examination was conducted using this procedure.  And there was no incidence throughout the examination.”

  • NBTE wants FG to establish more technical colleges to boost technical skills

    NBTE wants FG to establish more technical colleges to boost technical skills

    Dr Mas’udu Kazaure, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education ( NBTE ) has called on the Federal Government to establish more technical colleges across the country.

    Kazaure told newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday, that the country was supposed to have at least one technical college in each of the 774 Local Government Areas.

    He said the measure was necessary in order to check Nigeria’s skilled labour deficit.

    “Based on the nation policy on education, we are supposed to have 774 technical colleges across the country, but we only have 110; 17 federal colleges, 90 state colleges and three owned by private.

    “This means that we still have deficit of 664 technical colleges that needs to be established.

    “We need to establish more technical and technological institutions to improve access to technical education and boost our technical, innovative and inventive skills that will meet our industrial needs, “he said.

    According to him, there was also the need to focus on building skills for key economic sectors that will support the country’s socio-economic transformation for sustainable development.

    Kazaure said that the board has 523 technical institutions under its purview comprising 112 polytechnics, 35 colleges of agriculture, 29 colleges of health sciences, and 26 specialised institutions.

    Others are 138 innovation enterprises institutions, 110 technical colleges, and 73 vocational enterprise institutions.

    He identified some challenges affecting the technical education system to include delay in the review of Federal Polytechnic Act, in release of funds and nonpayment of salaries in many state’s polytechnics.

    “There is also security challenges resulting from non release of enough funds to settle the out-source services, shortfall of personnel allocation to polytechnics and responsibility allowances.” he added.

    NAN

  • FG to reposition Micheal Imoudu labour institute

    FG to reposition Micheal Imoudu labour institute

    The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is to collaborate with the relevant government agencies like the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to reposition the Micheal Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies to train manpower that will be useful to all sectors of the economy.

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Prof. Stephen Ocheni who disclosed this while speaking with a group of select journalists in his office said the Ministry will approach the NBTE and other accreditation agencies to come and inspect the institution and tell them what is required to bring it to standard.

    Prof. Ocheni said the Ministry will also set a daily target for the civil servants in the ministry, adding that there is going to be a total reorientation in the ministry if it must attain the goal of economic recovering and growth plan of the President.

    He said: “the Ministry has a Labour Institute which is a training arm. It is my desire to ensure that the institute is strengthened further to be able to offer programmes and award certificates that are not only need in the Labour ministry, but will be of immense benefit to other ministries and agencies in the entire public service.

    “For example, if you are running a certificate in Labour Inspection or in any other aspect of Labour and management, we can strengthen the institution in collaboration with other government agencies that are responsible for the accreditation of such programmes such that qualifications obtained from there will be acceptable to other employers of labour in the country.

    “We are going this by collaborating with institutions like the National Board for Technical Education. We can appeal to them to come and inspect the facilities in our training institute and tell us what we need to do to meet their standard. If we are able to meet their standard, we may aspire to award diploma certificates that are comparable to diplomas awarded by Polytechnic and colleges of technologies in the country.

    “By so doing, we are strengthening the institutional capacity of the training institute and at the same time, producing graduates that are acceptable to other sectors of the economy. We must not train ourselves and our staff for only the Labour ministry. We will try as much as possible to diversity the knowledge that will be acquired from that institute so that they will be of benefit to other employers.

    “There are other short seminar and trainings that can improve in the employee productivity. We should, as much as possible be able to embrace the private sector orientation. There should be daily target for civil servants. There is going to be a total reorientation in the ministry if we must attain the goal of economic recovering and growth plan of the President.

    “We must work hand in hand to ensure the success of this economic recovery and growth plan. It is not for the politicians alone, neither is it for public office holders alone. Civil servants have a role to play in the realization of the objective of government plan for total economic recovery of this country.

    “When you come to the office, ask yourself a question, have I attained m target for to? So, we are going to draw work plan and target for ever cadre of civil servants in this ministry so that when you assume duty in the morning, you should know what task you are to accomplish because by doing that, you are contributing to productivity and contributing to the gross domestic product of this country. Most times, we complain that our salary is poor, but we don’t ask what our contribution to earning capacity of this country is.”

  • Agro-business: College trains 7,500 entrepreneurs

    The Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA) has trained and empowered at least 7,500 entrepreneurs on profitable agro-business ventures from September 2008 till date.

    Thee provost of the institution, Dr. Samson Odedina, stated this  on Wednesday in Akure.

    Odedina said the college was able to achieve this feat based on the quality and  experience of its staff in practical agriculture.

    He said the college’s facilities and manpower were ranked among the best in Africa.

    The provost said that the college played a leading and pioneering role in the actualisation of the new value-chain curriculum in schools of agriculture across the country.

    The provost said, “Based on what we do in FECA, we got a support from the Government of Australia and some institutions and we introduced value- chain into the curricula of schools of agriculture in Nigeria.

    “By the end of last month, we got an approval from the Federal Government through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) that the curriculum should be used in all schools teaching agriculture.

    “This value-chain curriculum is the first of its kind in Nigeria; none had existed prior to this time.

    “This is as a result of value-chain activities of production processing, value-addition marketing and consumption at the college.”

    He said that the college’s case study was adapted for the development of the curriculum based on its past experience.

    “The joy of it is that FECA is playing a leading role and also practicalising it for everyone to see,” he said.

    He added that everything FECA had was a case study confirming that value-chain approach would be a success.

    According to him, the new curriculum will enable students teach farmers on how to maximise profits at every stage of production.

    He applauded Harvest Plus Nigeria for being a most rewarding and sustainable partner in track record of producing quality and self-employed graduates for the agricultural sector.

    “It is commendable that Harvest Plus Nigeria built, equipped and donated agro shops, bio-fortification restaurants and cassava processing and value addition centres for stakeholders in the sector.

    “The Harvest Plus Nigeria also sponsored the establishment and maintenance of 100 hectares of Vitamin A cassava varieties for farmers and entrepreneurs in Ondo State,” he said.

    NAN

     

  • Bida Poly gets NBTE’s accreditation for 15 courses

    Bida Poly gets NBTE’s accreditation for 15 courses

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)  has accredited 15 courses, offered at the Federal Polytechnic, Bida in Niger.

    The Rector of the polytechnic, Dr Abubakar Dzukogi, made the disclosure on Tuesday in an interview in Bida.

    He said the accredited courses include Building Technology, Quantity Surveying and Survey Geo-Informatics.

    Others are Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Engineering Technology and Soil and Water Engineering.

    Also approved are Public Administration, Chemical Engineering Technology and Science Laboratory Technology.

    The rector said that the accredited courses would be due for re-accreditation in September, 2021.

     

  • ASUP in Kaduna Poly suspends 17-day-old strike

    ASUP in Kaduna Poly suspends 17-day-old strike

    The Kaduna Polytechnic Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has suspended its 17-day old strike.

    The ASUP Chairman, Dr Aliyu Ibrahim, announced the suspension in a communique issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.

    Ibrahim said that the decision to suspend the strike was reached after a meeting organised by the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr Masaudu kazaure and management of the polytechnic.

    “The union has agreed to suspend the strike after the management of Kaduna Polytechnic agreed to commence the immediate payment of the two months outstanding arrears of Peculiar Academic and Hazard Allowances.

    “Now that the management has commenced the payment of the outstanding two months allowance arrears, the strike is hereby suspended,” Ibrahim said.

    The union had on Dec. 30, 2016, embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-payment of five months peculiar academic and hazard allowance arrears by the institution’s management.

    The management paid three out of the five months arrears in the first week of January, but the union insisted that its members would not return to the class until the remaining two months allowance were paid.