On NBTE directive
By
Nasiru Suleiman
 
 
Permit me a space in your widely circulated newspaper to air my view about the recent federal government directive through NBTE on the 70:30 ratio in favour of science/technology students that should be admitted in all polytechnics. it is a welcome development, the reason why polytechnics were set up in the country is to meet the technological manpower need of the country.
 
It is a good development geared towards repositioning the polytechnics to its initial purpose, and this will help the country to beef up the acute shortage of technological manpower, which is inadequate in supply that makes the country over-dependent on foreign expatriate for most of its technological needs.
 
Take for instance in the oil sector, which is the main stay of the economy you find out that most of the oil workers are expatriate, even the welders and sometimes cleaners, which is not suppose to be. You find out in some polytechnics the ratio of student graduating is 90:10 in favour of humanitarian students, little wonder our streets are full of graduates who can hardly defend their certificates. some of the polytechnics are forty to thirty years of establishment yet their impact is not felt, because there is deviation in purpose and direction and things are not done in accordance with the laiddown rule. You find out that most class were overpopulated, a class that suppose to accommodate 40 students, will be allotted for 100 students, this need to be corrected. one must thumb up for NBTE for enforcing this on all the polytechnics.
 
Take Kaduna polytechnics for example that admitted about ten to fifteen thousand candidates last session, only admitted lest than 3,000 candidates this session, available statistics shows that the number of candidates who have been offered admission in this year provisional admission is not up to what the institution normally admit into only College of Business and Management studies (CBMS). In the same vein federal polytechnic Idah in Kogi State admitted less than 80 candidates to HND in the department of Business administration and management studies, this shows compliance to the federal government directive, unlike in the past where some polytechnic exceeds their carrying capacity.
 
According to NBTE, about 32 polytechnics in the country have extremely exceeded their carrying capacity and have failed to comply to the 70:30 ratio in favour of science and technology students have been barred from admitting candidates into business and art programme. Only 22 polytechnics in the country escape the bar to admits candidates into all programmes subject to approved carrying capacity, that is maximum of two class streams and maximum of 40 students in each class of art based programmes and 30 students in each class of science/technology based programme.
NBTE must ensure strict compliance to this carrying capacity, if not most of the polytechnics will want to go back to their outrageous way of enrolment with disregard to board guidelines.