The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says it has issued certificates to 64 newly approved private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the country.
The Executive Secretary of board, Dr Masa’udu Kazaure, said this in a statement on Thursday in Kaduna.
He listed the institutions to include 18 polytechnics, two monotechnics, four Colleges of Health Science and Technology, 32 Innovation Enterprises Institutions (IEIs) and eight Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs).
The executive Secretary said that the establishment of the private technical institutions was in line with government effort to increase access to technical education.
Kazaure explained that the IEIs and VEIs were institutions approved by the government to provide veritable alternative route to higher education in the country.
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“They are basically private institutions that offer vocational, technical, technological or professional education and other skills-based training to equip our youths and working adult to meet increasing demand for technical manpower.
“This is a Federal Ministry of Education initiative with the aim of widening access to TVET as well as serving the needs of the industry and self-empowerment of the nation’s citizens,” he said.
He said that the NBTE had been encouraging the establishment of more private polytechnics, IEIs and EVIs to diversify and expand access to technical skills-based training.
He added that from form 2007 to date, the government had granted approval to 56 private polytechnics, 152 IEIs and 70 VEIs, in addition to colleges of health science and technology among others.
“Currently, the board has under its purview; 131 polytechnics, 33 colleges of agriculture, 50 colleges of health science and technology, 31 specialised institutions, 152 IEIs, 79 VEIs and 119 technical colleges.
“In keeping with its mandate, NBTE has continued to ensure that quality assurance is maintained in the delivery of programmes of institutions by undertaking accreditation visitations to institutions and programmes that are due.
“From 2018 to date, the board has visited 80 institutions and carried out accreditation and reaccreditation of 417 programmes, verified 46 programmes, and carried out resource inspection of 241 institutions.
“We equally carried out resources inspection and verification of 28 programmes and carrying capacity verification of 24 institutions,” he added.
The NBTE boss also said that the desire to tailor curricula to be demand-driven, had also compelled the board to undertake the development and review of over 56 curricula from 2016 to date.
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He further said that curricula were also developed in new and emerging fields, including Higher National Diploma (HND), Explosive Ordinance and National Diploma (ND) and HND Railway Engineering Technology.
Others are HND Aviation Management, ND Cement Engineering Technology and HND Mechatronics Engineering Technology.
He identified proliferation of illegal institutions across the county as one of the major challenges facing the board, adding, however, that the board was working hard to eradicate the menace.
The statement quoted the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, as saying at the occasion that the Federal Government was working hard to reposition the economy to a knowledge-based economy.
Adamu added that private sector participation in tertiary education management and administration would help address the problem of access to technical education and the shortage of skilled manpower in the country.
“It is on this premise that the Federal Government in 2007, established the IEIs and VEIs in a bid to impart the necessary skills and drive the wheel of progress and development.
“These are institutions that provide skills that translate into inventions, services, products, innovations and best practices that make significant contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Products,” he said. (NAN)
