NBTE Proposes N1.5bn Per Polytechnic to Produce One Local Product

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has proposed giving between N1 billion and N1.5 billion to each polytechnic to establish production lines under its One Product, One Polytechnic (1P1P) initiative.

Director-General of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, disclosed this at a strategic session in Abuja organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) with the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO), tertiary institutions and private sector stakeholders.

Bugaje said under 1P1P, every polytechnic must manufacture at least one product locally, noting that Nigeria should not be importing simple items like wheelbarrows.

He said Nigeria’s heavy dependence on foreign technology and imports shows a weak link between technical education and industry.

“Nigerian researchers are not talking to the industry,” he said, urging researchers to involve manufacturers and end-users from the start to ensure research solves real market problems.

Bugaje said polytechnics and TVET institutions need greater attention because they produce the skilled manpower for manufacturing and infrastructure. 

He cited the engagement of thousands of Indian technicians during construction of the Dangote Refinery as proof of Nigeria’s technical manpower gap.

He called for industry-led curriculum reviews, modern labs and workshops, and stronger partnerships where companies provide practical training and equipment to polytechnics.

He also said NBTE is pushing amendments to the Polytechnic Act to allow polytechnics award Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) Honours degrees while retaining the National Diploma pathway, to end the HND/BSc dichotomy.

WAITRO Secretary-General, Dr. Benjin Luo, said the academia must connect with industry to accelerate technology transfer and commercialisation. 

Luo, who also represents China’s National Innovation Centre for Excellence, said WAITRO has over 200 member organisations globally.

He said researchers often lack market insights to commercialise findings, while businesses cannot afford own research units, adding that his organisations can translate industry needs into university research and bring innovations to market.

He said Nigeria has the population, market and raw materials to attract technology and investment.

RMRDC Director-General, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, said Nigeria must bridge research-industry gap to maximise value from its natural resources and research investments, adding that the council is pursuing international partnerships for technology transfer and commercialisation.

TETFund representative, Dr. Conforto-Chamberlain, said the Fund is now prioritizing research that produces commercially viable products, not just publications, through centres of excellence.

Dr. Ike Willie Nwobu called for stronger collaboration between tertiary institutions and RMRDC to improve practical training, criticising lack of hands-on experience among mechanical engineering and agronomy graduates. 

He said students should not graduate without exposure to farms, livestock and workshops, just as medical students require teaching hospitals.

Stakeholders called for stronger collaboration among government, researchers, polytechnics and businesses to convert technical education and research into local production and industrial growth.