NBTE meets with reps committee to seek NUC-like status

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says underfunding and inadequate staffing hinder its operations.

Idris Bugaje, the board’s executive secretary, met with a house of representatives committee on Wednesday in Kaduna.

The reps committee on federal polytechnics and higher technical education paid an oversight visit to the board’s headquarters.

Bugaje said improved funding of the board would ensure up-skilling among the Nigerian youth for local and global opportunities.

The ES lamented that NBTE was unable to review the ND/HND curriculum within the five-year timeframe due to poor funding.

He described the board’s 2024 budget as teh worst so far.

He equally lamented the lack of modern tools and the use of obsolete equipment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVET).

Bugaje said NBTE’s challenges include the grabbing of its lands by some high-profile individuals in Abuja.

He said the NBTE is pushing to upgrade itself to a “National Polytechnic Commission” that is comparable to the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The executive secretary sought the reps committee’s support on this.

Fuad Laguda, the chairman of the committee, said there should be no difference between the NBTE and the NUC.

“It is about the NBTE and committee correcting some things that should not be the way they are,” he added.

Laguda said the committee met with the NBTE to make a case for correcting functional anomalies in the interest of equity and justice among all institutions of higher learning.

He said the committee is committed to aligning with the overall objectives of a robust and enhanced technical education.