University education may tumble from its pre-eminent height in no distant time, if polytechnics can achieve their objectives with the physical and human resources available in these institutions.

Engr. Dr. Nuru Yakubu, Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) pointed to this possibility in a keynote address at the 3rd National Conference of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro chapter, recently.

"The present administration has issued out a policy statement that some Nigerian polytechnics should be able to award the Bachelor of Technology while still maintaining their polytechnic identities and status.

The primary focus of the universities and the polytechnics is quite different. The polytechnic is aimed at producing skilled manpower for the industry and judging from the physical and human resources available in the polytechnics, coupled with curricula in use in the various programmes, we would achieve our objectives and make Nigeria great."

He predicted: "The special prestige usually attached to university education may be a thing of the past if we all cooperate to make polytechnic education what it ought to be."

The NBTE scribe noted that the conference is to address a critical issue that the nation expects would reduce the usual stigma attached to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). It will also uplift the status of polytechnic education and make it a household name when the objectives are fully achieved.

"We are here because we owe ourselves and our nation a duty to contribute to the technical education development of our dear country, Nigeria."

He said that it can no longer be business as usual if we hope to advance our civilisation to keep pace with the international community, to stand tall in the competitive global market place and be relevant to the industry and the Nigerian economy, and by extension realise the 20:2020 Vision of the present administration. On the other hand, the graduates on their own should be able to sustain themselves and lift their heads up in the community of academia.

According to him, NBTE in its wisdom took cognisance of the possibility of a collapse of the system if the degree and approved diploma programmes are allowed to be run in the polytechnics as it was done in the United Kingdom.

"The Board therefore intends to improve the National Diploma progammes by increasing its entry requirements to a minimum of five credits in relevant subjects and improving the skill and competency acquisition.

Furthermore, the involvement of private organisations in TVET through the Innovation Enterprise Institutions (IEIs) and Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs) currently being established will be enhanced to train graduates, adult and school leavers with possible upward mobility."

Referring to technical education in the developed world which is assisting to arrest unemployment and/or underemployment, reducing poverty and making unions more proactive in the course of development in those countries for the advancement of mankind and the economy, "it is therefore, expected that ASUP should contribute its own quota towards the realisation of this laudable programme."

Yakubu urged them to be focused and avoid expending too much energy on tangential issues at the expense of more salient issues pertaining to the proposed degree awarding status for Nigerian polytechnics.

He described as "sad and unfortunate," that liberal education characterises TVET as an inferior pursuit, requiring little or no intelligence or academic ability.

"It is left for TVET in Nigeria to cast off the ascribed inferiority stigma by the demonstration of what it offers the society, the industry/employers, political community and indeed the nation. As the executive secretary of NBTE, I wish to categorically say that TVET is not in any way inferior."