Bill to allow polytechnics award degrees scales second reading at house of reps

A bill seeking to empower polytechnics to award bachelor’s degrees has passed second reading at the house of representatives.

Sponsored by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, and Faud Laguda, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Lagos state, the proposed legislation aims to amend the Federal Polytechnics Act 2004.

The bill proposes an amendment to section 3 of the Principal Act to include representatives of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in the council of every polytechnic in Nigeria.

Clause 3 of the proposed legislation intends to amend section 8 of the extant law to raise the qualification of those seeking to occupy the position of the rector of federal polytechnics to PhD.

Clause 4 seeks to alter section 15 of the act to enlarge the powers of the academic board to award bachelor of technology (B.Tech) to graduating students.

Leading the debate, Laguda said the amendment will enable polytechnics to “meet up with the demand of the ever-changing world while adhering to the International best practices”.

He appealed to his colleagues to support and pass the bill for the “overall objective is to improve the provision of technical education to Nigerian students through a better organised polytechnic system in Nigeria”.

Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the bill when the speaker called for a voice vote.