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Tag: NBTE

  • NBTE okays 12 Mubi Poly programmes

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has approved 12 new programmes for the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi in Adamawa State.

    The Board has also okayed the institution for admitting students into the new programmes for the 2013/2014 academic year.

    Its Rector, Abubakar Sadiq Yahya, told members of the institution’s Governing Council at a meeting that the accreditation covers four Higher National Diploma (HND) and eight National Diploma (ND) programmes cutting across Science/Technology and Management fields.

    He said the institution submitted 13 programmes to NBTE for accreditation, 12 of which scaled the quality assurance mechanism.

    Yahya said efforts were being made to remedy the deficiency observed in the only programme that failed the accreditation.

    He expressed concern over the lingering industrial action by two of the three unions in the polytechnic sector.

    He appealed to them to consider the plight of their students and return to the classroom.

    He noted that the government had taken steps to address the demands of the unions, urging them to give the process a chance for the amicable resolution of all issues.

    Chairman of the Governing Council, Mr Ibrahim Jahun, commended the Rector for the achievements, saying it shows the good leadership qualities of the Rector.

    He said Yahya has brought his experience in the sector to bear by getting 92 per cent of the programmes accredited. He assured him of the council’s readiness to support the management to achieve the desired results.

  • NBTE withdraws Crown Poly’s accreditation

    The National Board for Technical Education, (NBTE) has  withdrawn the  accreditation of all programmes offered by the Crown Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti for allegedly going against operational guidelines approved for it by the board.

    Head of Public Relations of the Board, Jacob Abang said in a statement made available to The Nation that the institution was found to have gone against the directive of the Federal Executive Council on the operation of outreach centres in parts of the country and offering programmes not approved by the board.
    Abang quoted a letter to the proprietor of the Polytechnic dated 2nd August, 2013 and signed by the NBTE Executive Secretary, Dr. Masa’udu A Kazaure mni, as saying that the withdrawal of accreditation of programmes in the Polytechnic, became necessary in view of the myriad of petitions received from organizations, government agencies and students on the conduct and operation of the polytechnic.
    He said that subsequent investigation by the Board also revealed that the polytechnic was operating in contravention of the Basic Minimum Academic Standards as prescribed by law and has been running ND and HND programmes in 30 centres across the country, particularly in Yenagoa, Kabba, Akure, Ondo and in various towns in Ekiti State.
    He also said that the board also discovered that the Polytechnic was running unapproved ND programmes in Urban and Regional Planning, Quantity Surveying and Public Administration and had submitted list of students for mobilization to NYSC in unapproved HND Computer Science and Electrical/Electronics Engineering programmes.
    The Board, Abang said  therefore directs the Polytechnic to stop all academic activities in all its illegal satellite/outreach study centres; close down the illegal campuses/centres; report these centres to the security agencies where appropriate to ensure that they do not propagate or relocate to other addresses.
    The board also directed the institution to publish a disclaimer of names and addresses of these illegal /satellite campuses in at least two national dailies for the information of the public, as well as ensure that the institution would not engage in any further collaboration or unapproved affiliation with any person/organization to run any programme again.
    Abang also quoted the Executive Secretary as saying that the board may only allow the institution to resume operation when it is satisfied that the institution has complied with approved standards in line with Part II, Section 15 and 16 of CAP ES LFN 2004.
    The Board advised the Directorate of NYSC to put mobilization of graduates of the Polytechnic on hold as well as advised the joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to stop admission into all ND programmes of the institution until further notice.
  • NBTE ties entrepreneurship to accreditation

    NBTE ties entrepreneurship to accreditation

    From now on, polytechnics that fail to start entrepreneurship programmes will not get accreditation for their programmes.

    Abdu Kofarmata, Desk Officer in charge of Entrepreneurship Programme and Education, National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) said this in an interview with journalists at the NBTE capacity building programme on entrepreneurship education for rectors, provosts and head of institutions held at the Covenant University, Ota.

    He said: “Any polytechnic that does not offer entrepreneurship programme and education will not be accredited because entrepreneurship programmes allows for innovations and inventions and you cannot have a sustainable economy growth without innovation which is the key aim of establishing polytechnics.”

    Kofarmata said polytechnics were leading in terms of entrepreneurship education, adding that polytechnic graduates would employ university graduates in the near future.

    “The polytechnic system is the only sector in the education system that has developed the training document for entrepreneurship which includes the curriculum, teachers guide and training manual,” he noted.

    From 2009 to date Kofarmata said the NBTE has trained 1,150 lecturers, 930 in Nigeria and 220 outside the country and “we can say that those institutions now have a vibrant entrepreneurship centers.”

    He urged the administrators to key into the board’s objective for entrepreneurship education and implement same in their institutions.

    “The actual aim of this workshop is to sensitise the Rectors on what we want to achieve with entrepreneurship programmes in polytechnics and the role we want them to play in the discharging of the project. We don’t want them to starve the development or funding of this programme in their institutions.”

    In an interview, Dr Jen Saidu Umaru, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Bali, Taraba State said the programme was necessary because of the importance of entrepreneurship programme, especially to technical education, which he said cannot prosper without entrepreneurship programme.

    Speaking at the event, Prof Korede Ayo, Vice-Chancellor, Covenent University, said polytechnic graduates be provided a platform to be innovative.

    “We just need a business incubator where polytechnic graduates can walk into to carryout innovations and inventions no matter how small.

    Prof Ayo also said that polytechnics should be funded to deliver their mandate as this will improve the economy and create employment.

    He noted that his Chancellor Prof David Oyedepo once said: “I will consider Covenent University a failure if our graduates will join the army of unemployed graduates combing the streets of the country in search of jobs.”

  • Why youths are involved in crime, by NBTE chief

    ver 60 per cent of youths are either unemployed or underemployed, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) Executive Secretary, Dr Mas’udu Kazaure, has said.

    He spoke at the opening of an entrepreneurship sensitisation workshop organised for rectors of polytechnics and provosts of colleges of education at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.

    The two-day workshop was organised by NBTE in conjunction with Covenant University.

    “Officially, over 60 per cent of our youths are either unemployed or under-employed.

    “Consequently, the army of restive youths has resulted in vices, such as increased urban violence, kidnapping and insurgency,” he said.

    He also said the implementation of entrepreneurship programmes is mandatory.

    Kazaure said the accreditation would soon start, adding that the programme is aimed at improving the technical skills of graduates.

    He said research has shown that many graduates of the country’s tertiary institutions are deficient in entrepreneurial skills, adding that, if the trend persisted, Nigeria might wait for long before advancing in technology.

    The secretary said the deficiency was worsening the country’s unemployment situation.

    “It will be a mandatory requirement for accreditation of all programmes beginning from the next accreditation exercise which will commence soon.

    “Such areas as entrepreneurship curriculum, entrepreneurship development centre existence and management, and practical activities being undertaken have been inserted for effective evaluation and assessment during the accreditation exercise,” he said.

    The host and Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof. Charles Ayo, called for an improved polytechnic system through qualitative programmes and adequate funding.

    “There is nothing much wrong with our education system. All we need is sustainability of good programmes and the implementation of workable policies.

    “We must ensure that polytechnics are encouraged by way of funding and infrastructure in order to get our teeming youths adequately equipped technically to drive our economy,” he said.

    The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Bali, Taraba, Dr Jen Umaru, said entrepreneurship education was vital to technological advancement.

    “Our challenge in this respect is how to use technical education to develop skilled personnel, which will be geared toward self reliance.

    “You cannot achieve anything in this direction if the students are not competent in entrepreneurship which remains the key to self reliance.

    “The rectors too as chief executives of the respective institutions have a huge role to play in terms of facilitating the disbursement of funds and other issues that will enhance progress of the programme,” he said.

     

  • FG goes tough on satellite campuses

    FG goes tough on satellite campuses

    The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, said in Kaduna on Monday that the government will no longer condone activities of some unscrupulous Nigerians who indulge in illegal activities of operating unlicensed schools in the name of satellite campuses and outreach centres.

    The minister, who spoke at a consultative meeting between the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Rectors of Polytechnics and Provosts Colleges of Technology in the country, was furious that such activities are often aided by some heads of government institutions.

    She said that henceforth, nobody will be allowed to brazenly compromise the future of Nigerians and mortgage the nation’s development, adding that government will continue to protect the integrity of the education system in the country from the activities of these undesirable elements at all time.

    She said further that the government will remain steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that standard of education is not compromised, saying “why we desire to open access, we shall not compromise the future of Nigerians and mortgage our national development. Quality will be jealously guarded.”

    The minister said further that as part of the four- year strategy for the development of the education sector, the government has planned a new approach for Technical and Vocational Education Training, making it a key area in the efforts to enhance skills.

    This, she said explain the huge investment by the government in equipment, laboratories and infrastructural facilities in 51 states and federal government owned Polytechnics, adding that an additional N2 billion has been approved for the second phase of the project.

    In addition, she disclosed that the government is planning to invest about N6 billion as special intervention in the science and technical colleges across the country, adding that government is not only providing equipment, rehabilitating laboratories and infrastructures, it has taken some steps to ensure that members of staff are motivated to continue to play a pivotal role in driving the transformation agenda of the present administration.

    She asked the Rectors to adopt global best practices in the management of their institutions, stressing that transparency and accountability must be their watch word while eschewing the culture of impunity that forced government into doing away with the services of two Rectors recently.

     

  • NBTE disowns Benin college certificates

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has said that all the programmes run by the College of Technology, Benin were illegal.

    It said the institution does not have its mandate to award diploma or run degree programmes.

    The NBTE was responding to a request by the Edo State chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists to inquire about the authenticity of the results issued by the College of Technology.

    A letter signed by Suleiman Sa’ad Gwarzo on behalf of Executive Secretary of NBTE, Dr. Mas’udu Adamu Kazaure reads, “I am directed to inform you that the above named institution does not have the mandate of the board to run all its programme.

    “Therefore, all courses run by the institution are illegal.”

    The College of Technology was not included in the directory of accredited prorgammes and institutions attached with the letter.

    There were no academic activities going on in the school when our reporter visited.

    A church was seen occupying what appeared to be the school hall while two women and a middle-aged man who gave his name as Christian Enofe refused comments on the NBTE letter.