The Federal Government has issued operational licence to 20 private polytechnics, four Colleges of Health Science and technologies and 32 Innovation Enterprises Institutions.
This brings the number of private polytechnics to 56, 152 Innovation Enterprise Institutions and 84 Vocational Enterprise Institutions in the country.
Speaking during the event Tuesday, Arc Sonny Echono, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration accorded priority position to education and Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to help turn the petrol-economy to a knowledge-based economy.
“There is no gain saying the fact that the state of technical and vocational education in Nigeria requires very urgent and decisive action to reposition it for Nigeria’s technology take off,” he said.
He, therefore, urged the newly established institutions to strive towards establishing a progress oriented and globally competitive institutions to actualise the envisioned change and agenda.
Echono warned that the federal government has banned study centers or satellite campuses by approved institutions adding that qualifications obtained from the institutions would not be recognised for further studies, National Youth Service, employment and promotion.
The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr M. A Kazaure revealed that the board has under its purview, approved 131 polytechnics, 33 Colleges of Agriculture, 50 colleges of Health Science and Technology, 31 Specialised Institutions, 152 Innovation Enterprise Institutions, 79 Vocational Enterprise Institutions and 119 Technical Colleges.
Kazaure revealed that the Board would continue to ensure that quality assurance are maintained in the delivery of the institutions programme under its purview by undertaking accreditation visitations to institutions and programmes that are due.
“From 2018 to date, the Board visited a total of 80 institutions and carried out accreditation/ reaccreditation of 417 programmes, verification of 46 programmes, resource inspection of 241 programmes, resources inspection verification of 28 programmes and CC verification of 24,” he said.
