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Tag: NBTE

  • NBTE clarifies digital accreditation process for polys, dismisses ASUP’s claims as misleading

    NBTE clarifies digital accreditation process for polys, dismisses ASUP’s claims as misleading

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has responded to statements by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), clarifying issues on digital accreditation, describing it as misleading.

    NBTE, dismissing ASUP’s claims which was contained in a publication in one of the national dailies, said the board had introduced digital accreditation in 2024 to address challenges such as falsification of data and insecurity.

    In a statement issued to newsmen on Monday in Kaduna, Mrs Fatima Abubakar, the Head, Media Unit of NBTE, said the use of technology and Artificial Intelligence had brought an end to the challenges highlighted by ASUP in their publication.

    Abubakar added that digital accreditation had also bridged the challenge of insecurity and limited accessibility in some states when conducting accreditation physically.

    She stated that the ‘brown envelopes’ saga of the past had also been brought to an end.

    According to her, over 90 per cent of accreditations are now done digitally, with physical accreditation allowed in a few cases, such as institutions with poor internet access or weak ICT infrastructure.

    “A Federal Polytechnic in Taraba is an example of an institution with poor internet services, established in 2007 but not yet on the national grid,”she said.

    The media unit head explained that vendors were selected through a transparent process to handle physical accreditations in such cases.

    She said that the vendors were approved by the NBTE Tenders Board after advertisements and other screening processes, carried out transparently and witnessed by several stakeholders.

    “The physical accreditation by vendors has taken off, with the Minister of Education approving monitoring and evaluation exercises with ASUP nominees.

    “NBTE expects ASUP to participate in these exercises before making conclusions, rather than jumping to conclusions without full knowledge of the situation,”she said.

    Abubakar, therefore, described ASUP’s allegations as misleading and called on the union to partner with the board to reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria.

    She emphasised that the Federal Government valued TVET, making it a crucial pillar, adding that NBTE was working to change the narrative of the Nigerian youths and grow the economy.

    “The board had made progress in repositioning TVET since the assumption of office of the current Executive Secretary in 2021,”she said.

    Abubakar believed that all the stakeholders must work together to bring succour and dignity to the TVET sector.

    She said that with the current government’s commitment to TVET, NBTE was optimistic about the future of the sector and the impact it can have on the nation’s development.

    Abubakar restated NBTE’s commitment to promoting skills for national development, urging ASUP to see the board as a partner in progress.

  • NBTE boss raises alarm over installation of solar panels on rooftops

    NBTE boss raises alarm over installation of solar panels on rooftops

    Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje has raised an alarm over the practice of installing solar panels on rooftops.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Prof. Bugaje to have said the installation of solar panels on rooftops is unsafe and endangers life and property.

    Bugaje raised the alarm over the widespread unsafe practice in an interview with NAN in Abuja

    According to him, many rooftop solar panel installations across the country are being carried out without adherence to safety and engineering standards.

    “The installations that are going on across the country on rooftops are very unprofessional and they are risks to fire.

    “During the peak of solar radiation, the current flowing in the wires is maximum. It’s at its highest peak.

    “If the current is too high, the wires will become heated. They will heat up due to the resistance.

    “As the electrons flow, they face resistance within that wires and they will heat up to the extent that some of them can even melt.

    “If the two spark, it can ignite fire. Many fires have happened because of that,” he said.

    He also faulted the common practice of mounting solar panels at steep angles matching rooftop designs, saying most roofs are sloped at 60 to 70 degrees, which significantly reduces solar collection efficiency.

    For optimum energy generation, he said panels should be mounted at about 10 degrees facing south to match Nigeria’s geographic position, especially in places like Abuja.

    Speaking on the importance of renewable energy, Bugaje said for the country to industrialise, it must target close to 500 watts per capita of its energy.

    He said that the technical education sector is stepping up efforts to address these gaps through structured training.

    Bugaje explained that the National Diploma in Renewable Energy Engineering had been reviewed, and two new Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal engineering had been introduced.

    He further said that short-term certifications under the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework(NSQF) were being offered to equip installers with professional expertise.

    “Renewable energy is important to Nigeria because of the present energy poverty that we are facing in the country,

    “A population of 230 million people enjoying 5,000 megawatts. If you divide the megawatts by the population, it is decimally low.

    “Nigeria cannot industrialise with this low energy availability. Many countries that are peers of Nigeria, like South Africa has higher watts per capital,” he said

    Bugaje expressed worry over the underutilised solar potential in the county.

    He, therefore, called on state governments to take advantage of recent constitutional changes that allow states to generate and distribute electricity independently.

  • See beneficiaries as federal govt set to pay students N45,000 monthly stipend

    See beneficiaries as federal govt set to pay students N45,000 monthly stipend

    The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, has unveiled plans to start paying students attending technical colleges nationwide a monthly stipend of N45,000.

    Bugaje made this known during a recent interview with newsmen in Abuja, where he disclosed that the  motive is to promote interest in technical education.

    According to him, the administration of President Bola Tinubu has allocated N120 billion in grants to support students under the new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative. This funding will be disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

    He further expressed concern over the interest in technical and vocational education, noting that it has been declining over the years.

    In support of this initiative, Bugaje reported that students engaged in technical training will gain valuable skills and qualifications, which will enable them to secure jobs both locally and internationally.

    He said, “With this, young people will find it more attractive to come to a technical college, acquire skills qualification, get jobs locally and even beyond the borders of Nigeria.

    “This way, the whole sector is being repositioned. We are at the moment facing what you may call either a resurrection or a rebirth of TVET.

    “During colonial days and early part of our independence, TVET had received attention.

    ”But, since 1980s, we have been going down the drains. That is why the number of technical colleges has dropped, from 129 at the moment, compared to 15,000 senior secondary schools in Nigeria.

    “The N45,000 is not as a loan, but a grant. Students who enjoy this are not going to pay back. We want to encourage more people to enroll in technical education.”

  • Senate moves to repeal Act establishing NBTE

    Senate moves to repeal Act establishing NBTE

    The Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund is considering repealing the Act establishing the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to realise its objectives.

    Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Muntari Dandutse said this when he led members of the committee on an oversight visit to the Board’s office in Abuja on Thursday.

    While noting the importance of the board to the technological development of Nigeria, Dandutse said that the Senate would look into amending the obsolete laws governing NBTE.

    “We will look at repealing the laws that will make them realise the objectives of innovation in a modern set up.

    “We are going to look into the challenges and address them. We want to partner with you. We need to address young Nigerians to be self employed.

    “It’s only through these polytechnics we can have technical students who can achieve a very robust innovation in making Nigeria great in terms of engineering”.

    The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof Idris Bugaje, said that the Board was established in 1977 adding that it supervises, accredits and regulates over 700 institutions, 156 polytechnics and 145 monotechnics.

    He disclosed that Sokoto state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were the only states yet to have federal polytechnics.

    “Sokoto is only the state in Nigeria without a federal polytechnic. We appreciate it so that Sokoto will also have a federal polytechnic.

    “We are proposing that FCT has a federal polytechnic in Gwarinpa. A draft has already been given to the minister and it will soon go to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and from there to the Senate.”

    He also noted that the struggle to upgrade NBTE to a national polytechnic commission has started.

    “We look forward to support from this Senate Committee,” Bugaje said.

  • NBTE to Reps: We’re poorly funded, under-staffed

    NBTE to Reps: We’re poorly funded, under-staffed

    Prof. Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary,  National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), says it is poorly funded and under-staffed.

    Bugaje spoke on Wednesday in Kaduna when the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education paid an oversight visit to the board’s headquarters.

    He said that improved funding of the board would ensure up-skilling of Nigerian youths for local and global opportunities.

    Bugaje lamented that NBTE was unable to review the ND/HND curricula within the five years’ time frame due to poor funding.

    He decried that 2024 was the board’s worst budget, with curve-outs at the National Assembly.

    Bugaje equally lamented the lack of modern tools, equipment and the use of obsolete equipment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVET).

    He also mentioned some of the board’s challenges to include grabbing of its lands by some high-connected and profiled individuals in Abuja, with some of the lands recovered,

    The NBTE boss disclosed that the struggle to upgrade it to a National Polytechnic Commission has started, while seeking the committee’s support in realising the dream.

    He urged the committee to take the Zonal Offices of the NBTE as its baby, by ensuring that they were built and staffed to take the board to the grassroots.

    Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Fuad Laguda, stated that there was no dichotomy between the NBTE and the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC).

    He said, ”It is about the NBTE and committee correcting some things that should not be the way they are.”

    Laguda, therefore, said it was why the committee came to the NBTE to make a case and correct the wrongs by making things right to ensure equity and justice among all the higher learning institutions.

    He equally said the committee would work collaboratively with all the Federal Polytechnics and the board.

    Speaking on under-funding, the chairman advised the board on what to do to improve its budget for maximum performance.

    Laguda stated the committee’s commitment to aligning with the overall objectives of a robust and enhanced technical education.(

  • ASUP gives ultimatum for suspension of scheme of service implementation

    ASUP gives ultimatum for suspension of scheme of service implementation

    The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has issued a 15-day ultimatum to public polytechnic authorities to suspend  implementation of  a ‘contentious’ scheme of service  put together by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

    The ultimatum is with effect from July 8.

    The President of the union, Mr Kpanja Shammah, made this known at a media briefing in Lagos on Monday.

    NAN reports that ASUP, at its 110th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held  on July 4 in Abuja, reviewed the scheme of service with regard to practices and standards in the academic setting, nationally and globally.

    Shammah said on Monday that  suspension of the implementation of the scheme was necessary, adding that some of its provisions were below standards.

    “Following critical review of the document by the NEC of the union and in pursuit of our commitment to the advancement of the interest of members and the polytechnics in Nigeria, the following resolutions were made:

    “The union demands suspension of  implementation of the identified provisions until the requisite amendments are effected. The ultimatum is with effect from July 8.

  • NBTE commits to training skillful graduates in environmental health specialities

    NBTE commits to training skillful graduates in environmental health specialities

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has committed to ensuring that skillful graduates on environmental health specialities are trained from the nation’s higher institutions of learning.

    This commitment saw the developing of Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula on environmental health technology with options in industrial safety and hygiene, and environmental health monitoring and surveillance.

    The curricula development is a collaboration between the NBTE and the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON).

    The two bodies, NBTE and EHCON on Feb. 5, began the development of curriculum on environmental health specialities in 16 options.

    The specialities were environmental health (8 options), public health (3 options), epidemiology and disease control (3 options) and water sanitation/hygiene (WASH) (2 options).

    During the opening of a 7-day pre-critique workshop on development of the curricula on Monday in Kaduna, NBTE’s Director of Curriculum Development Department, Dr. Hatim Koko, said they would develop a new curriculum content.

    “It has not been done before, what we have on ground is environmental health technology. The wisdom of EHCON brought about some degree of innovations following the fucus of the NBTE’s Executive Secretary,” he said.

    Koko explained that the board was unbundling a massive course specific areas that had to do with skills.

    He mentioned some of courses which were unbundled to include mass communication, computer science and its related options, and now on environmental health.

    Koko further said the board and EHCON were working on development of curriculum on 16 options which had never been done.

    He therefore, said the EHCON was widening its horizon in maintaining its specific focus to individuals within its areas of regulation and purview of professional regulation.

    Koko commended the EHCON’s Registrar for the foresight, adding that it would give a sequence in the operations and professional practice of the council.

    He urged all the curriculum development stakeholders to ensure robust interactions that would provide a content that would stand the test of time.

    Earlier declaring the workshop open, the ES of the NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, restated the board’s commitment in ensuring skillful graduates and a developed communities and the nation at large.

    Bugaje, represented by his Special Assistant, Prof. Diyauddeen Hassan, said the curricula development was part of the board’s matrix in addressing skills gaps at the national and international level.

    Also, the Registrar of the EHCON, Dr. Yakubu Baba, said the council had set out to rebrand the environmental health profession to make it in line with that of the 21st century.

    Baba, represented by his Deputy, Dr Isah Adamu, explained that the council wanted to make the environmental health profession to be in the private sector, however being an only government recognised entity.

    “We want to also be in the private sector, so that environmental health professionals who are licensed, will now be able to practise the profession outside public domain.

    “Without skills, one may not be able to practise effectively in the private sector and that is why the skills of graduates of the HND environmental health technology is meant to be upscaled,” he said.

    Baba urged the participants to effectively render their service not only to the environment health profession, but to the service of Nigeria and Nigerians at large.

    “We cannot grow as a nation until we have a better health outcome which doesn’t come easily if we don’t take care of the environmental health sphere which has been the bane of Nigeria’s health outcome.”

     

     

  • HND top-up not for every HND holder – NBTE clarifies

    HND top-up not for every HND holder – NBTE clarifies

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says the new online top-up programme for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree for one year, with foreign accredited universities, is meant for the HND holders who want to pursue an academic career.

    The NBTE Head of Media Unit, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, offered the clarification in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Abubakar quoted the board’s Chief Executive, Prof. Idris Bugaje, saying the programme is not for all the HND holders but rather for those who have the ambition to further their career in an academic environment such as teaching and research in the Polytechnics or Universities.

    ”This top-up is an alternative to the Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) offered by Nigerian Universities.

    ”In a democracy such as ours, HND holders should be allowed to make a choice between PGD and the top-up to BSc,” he said.

    He said the clarification came on the heels of misunderstandings about the programme in a section of the media.

    According to him, the top-up is not bringing an end to HND programmes in Polytechnics but rather provides choice to HND holders wanting to go for an academic career.

    ”The choice of starting it with foreign universities is to show its universal acceptability perchance the Nigerian universities may eventually buy into it in due course.

    ”The cost is reasonable, just about 10 per cent of what regular face-to-face students pay.

    ”NBTE has come up with the programme to enable interested Polytechnic HND holders to be at par with their counterparts with Bachelor’s degree holders.

    ”And make it easy for them to go for their Master’s and Doctorate degrees for those interested in pursuing their career in academics,” he said.

    Bugaje, during the unveiling of the programme earlier this month, said the initiative would ease the suffering of HND holders in the country.

    He said the board had to find an alternative route, which was for HND holders to do a one-year top up, in conjunction with some foreign universities.

    ”Presently there are many Ph.D. holders who academically progressed with HND through the PGD coming back to enroll for BSc (after their Ph.D.) in Nigerian universities, a very retrogressive step indeed.

    “The HND qualification in itself represents something unique and this top-up shall be an encouragement for candidates to apply for Polytechnic education since there is a pathway for progression into academics.

    ”This will never dilute the essence of technical education but rather enhance it,” he emphasised.

  • Eyiboh VS Etteh: NBTE Denies Existence of 1st Respondent’s Claimed Institution of Study

    Eyiboh VS Etteh: NBTE Denies Existence of 1st Respondent’s Claimed Institution of Study

    The National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, on Monday denied existence of the School of Management and Technology, Aba.

    NBTE stated this during commencement of hearing at the Akwa Ibom State Elections Petition Tribunal in the case of Rt Hon. Eseme Eyiboh and Hon Okpolump Etteh.

    Recall that Eyiboh approached the Tribunal that Etteh presented forged certificates to INEC, thus making him unqualified to have contested the election for Eket Federal Constituency seat.

    Mr Eyiboh’s petition is premised on the single ground of eligibility.

    In the resume hearing, Eyiboh subpoenaed the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, an agency empowered to approve, regulate, accredit and sanction Polytechnics, Monotechnics and related institutions.

    The NBTE was represented by its director of legal, Rekiya Shuaibu, Esq who confirmed the non existence of the school that issued Etteh the diploma certificate.

    Meanwhile, Gyang Dung Esq who represented the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, also tendered the disputed certificates that were submitted by Etteh to INEC.

    The testimonies set the stage for the star witness – Rt Hon. Eseme Eyiboh who entered the witness box to adopt his witness’ statement on oath and reply to Etteh’s response.

    Rt Hon Ette’s counsel, Ekpenyong Ntekim Esq met a resilient and sharp witness in Eyiboh.

    In the face of barrage of questions from INEC and PDP lawyers, Eyiboh remain resolute, consistent and vehement in pursuit of his claims.

    The case is adjourned to Wednesday, May 17 by 12noon for Etteh to open his defense.

  • NBTE partners technical group on European electrical apprenticeship for Nigerian youths

    NBTE partners technical group on European electrical apprenticeship for Nigerian youths

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Eryk Group on youths’ apprenticeship training in Europe, under the Nigerian Youth Skills Empowerment II (NYSE-2) programme.

    The NBTE spokesperson, Hajiya Fatimah Abubakar, who disclosed this in a statement in Kaduna on Monday, said the training would be delivered through partnership with various polytechnics in the country.

    Eryk Group is an international technical service provider that offers electrical and mechanical assembly, installation and commissioning services worldwide.

    Abubakar said that based on the MoU, the NBTE would select qualified students or trainees with National Diplomas in Electrical (Electro technical) and related areas, according to Eryk’s selection criteria.

    She said that NBTE would liaise with polytechnics under its purview in the selection of eligible students of the institutions in line with NYSE programme as approved by the Federal Government.

    “Based on the MoU, NBTE would perform pre-screening of the applications and guarantee credibility of all candidates’ profile, Curriculum Vitae, and Diploma Certificates.

    “Then all the pre-screened applications will be forwarded to ERYK through its recruitment consultant in Nigeria.

    The spokesperson further said that ERYK on the other hand, would coordinate the recruitment screening of all applications submitted and organise competency tests and interviews for the pre-selected candidates.

    She said that the NYSE-2 programme, which would take off immediately, was at no cost to the selected participants.

    According to her, ERYK would take care of the financial and other responsibilities during the participants’ stay in Europe.

    She added that after the selection, the candidates would undergo hands-on practical training on ERYK’s live projects within Europe, based on the NBTE’s Nigerian Youth Skills Empowerment model.

    She said that after the completion of the training, the beneficiaries would become European Certified Electricians with relevant work experience under ERYK.

    “In line with ERYK’s long-term goal, the graduates of the apprenticeship programme shall have the liberty to return to Nigeria to positively impact society through Knowledge transfer.

    “The goal is for the trained, skilled, experienced and internationally certified electricians to reside in Nigeria and continue to provide electrical installation services across Europe and other parts of the world,” she said.