By Waziri Isa Adam
In a bid to address the misconceptions and misinformation surrounding the new Schemes of Service for the Polytechnic sector, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, has provided clarification on the initiative.
According to Professor Bugaje, the scheme aims to upgrade the academic status and hands-on skills of Polytechnic staff and students, among other laudable objectives. He made this clear during a press conference held today, where he addressed the misleading information circulating on social media.
He said the newly approved scheme is a revolutionary document that shall recognize HND holders who may opt for lecturing as a career in Polytechnics, as Graduate Assistants, like their university counterparts. This shall be the first time in the history of Nigeria’s Polytechnic where HND graduates will be recognized as such.
He highlighted that one other great and unprecedented advantage of the scheme is that all Polytechnic lecturers who attained the position of Principal or Chief Lecturer will be required to have a degree, as a non-negotiable requirement. “This is because while we ask for parity between Universities and Polytechnics, we cannot allow academics in the polytechnics to have a Master’s degree as their highest degree,” he added.
Professor Bugaje warned that the time when indolent academics will be running to Nigerian Polytechnics to hide and avoid pursuing doctorate degrees has passed and will not be tolerated anymore.
Professor Bugaje admitted that certainly, the scheme contains some areas that require some amendments, including dichotomy against HND holders in other cadres, omission of some cadres, allowing at least one skipping for all cadres, like it is in other tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and not elongating the waiting period for all promotions beyond three years.
“These observations from the committee of Rectors of Federal Polytechnics, Polytechnic Staff Unions, and the National Association of Polytechnic Students have been forwarded to the Head of Service, Dr. Mrs. Folasade Yemi-Esan, who is the Mother of Skills in Nigeria,” he stressed.
The Executive Secretary said the clause, which the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), which is dominated by state polytechnics because of their large numbers, raised, was the introduction of Nigerian Skills Qualifications (NSQ) certificate for the promotion of lecturers, which is not an informal qualification as misjudged by the ASUP. It is already approved and recognized in the national schemes of service.
On the Mandatory Skills Qualifications (MSQ) which every Polytechnic student must undertake before graduation, Professor Bugaje described the MSQ as a major paradigm shift in Polytechnic Education in Nigeria that is aimed at producing diploma holders with skills; and it was because of which the NSQ was introduced for the promotion of lecturers who should drive MSQ. “This requirement will additionally make the Polytechnic Lecturers unique by having academic and hands-on-skills,” the ES stressed.
Responding to the appeal earlier made by the Federal Polytechnic Academic Staff Union (FEPASU) on some issues or requirements of the scheme, the Executive Secretary stressed that the Scheme of Service is strictly for the Federal Polytechnics that they represent, and which have ownership and governance peculiarities that make them different from the state polytechnics.
Professor Bugaje, who emphasized that education is on the concurrent list of our constitution, said NBTE cannot therefore impose the new scheme of service, after its final validation, on any state polytechnic. “As such, ASUP should be reduced to where they belong, and henceforth, all accreditations in state polytechnics shall be strictly on academic programs only to ensure that standards are maintained,” he further clarified.
Professor Bugaje, however, thanked NAPS, SSANIP, NASU, and FEPASA for handling the matter maturely and for sending constructive criticisms, which shall surely be looked into and resolved before the new scheme becomes fully operational.
Professor Bugaje called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to extend the tenure of the Head of Service of the federation, Dr. Mrs. Folasade Yemi-Esan, to enable her to complete the outstanding work she had started and to finalize the schemes of service for the polytechnic sector before her retirement.