When ASUP Beats Around The Bush -By Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim Goronyo

There is an African proverb that says when you don’t have anything to do, you indulge in unnecessary things. For Nigerian polytechnics, we have a lot on the ground to improve the system. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) should have even one reason to appreciate the successes achieved in our polytechnics. Though the inflation is high and the economic situation is scorching and becoming unbearable to salary income earners, a lot has been done in reviving and improving the system of our polytechnics, and that must be appreciated by ASUP.

The recent statement issued by ASUP titled “Redefining Polytechnic Education from Persistent Existential Threats” has attracted attention from polytechnic staff, and many of us have varied responses. This government has come up with futuristic initiatives meant to improve TVET education. The Federal Ministry of Education under the leadership of Dr. Maaruf Tunji Alausa launched a TVET program in Nigerian technical colleges to empower learners and pay them as they learn. The program, which will be supervised by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), will give each learner the benefit of:

– Free Tuition, paid directly by the Federal Government through NELFund
– Financial Support (monthly stipends) throughout their learning journey
– Training led by industry professionals with real-world experience
– Certification recognized nationwide by employers
– Take-Off Grants (starter packs) upon graduation to begin their careers
– Access to Top-Up business loans at single-digit interest

The present government has also launched a TVET empowerment program for TVET centers to enroll students and be paid to run the programs.

To improve the standard of living of ASUP members, the NBTE trained over a thousand educators from polytechnics and various institutions across Nigeria. This comprehensive workshop, centered on reviewed entrepreneurship and skills development curricula, was conducted in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Danglo Management and Financial Limited. The training sessions were conducted across all six geopolitical zones.

Through the NBTE, 200 craftsmen were trained on formal apprenticeship under the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project in partnership with the World Bank, and more Quality Qualification Assessors (QQA) were trained by the Federal Government to improve TVET skills.

The NBTE has unveiled 61 new and reviewed curricula for National Diploma (ND), National Innovation Diploma (NID), and Higher National Diploma (HND) programs, as well as ND Courseware for Open, Distance, and Flexible e-Learning (ODFeL) and the National Occupational Standards (NOS) between 2021 and 2022.

To improve the system of teaching in polytechnics, the NBTE has introduced Open Distance e-Learning in Nigerian polytechnics to meet the global need for education. Additionally, the NBTE has reduced the hardship in accreditation of courses in polytechnics by introducing digital accreditation, with almost 90% of NBTE accreditation now online, reducing costs and locking out corruption.

ASUP’s concern about the conversion of polytechnics to universities should not be seen as a threat, as new polytechnics are being established. In the case of Kaduna Polytechnic, there is a good arrangement to upgrade Nuhu Bammali Polytechnic to Federal Polytechnic.

ASUP has berated its responsibility as a union that is supposed to lead, mentor younger members, and form an entity of like-minded individuals to improve the education system in our polytechnics. At this time, our union should tailor a prospective path for growth, rather than subjecting itself to lies and propaganda for attention without factual figures.

Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim, Goronyo is an ASUP member from Kaduna Polytechnic, can be reached at auwalgoronyo@gmail.com