NBTE shifts focus to practical education in curriculum
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) said it had shifted it focus from paper qualification to practical education to better equip its growing polytechnic students across the country.
The team leader, Dr. E.I.E. Onyeocha, who disclosed this during the opening session of NBTE accreditation visit at the Niger State Polytechnic in Zungeru, said that the paradigm shift to practical training was necessitated to combat the unemployment rate of polytechnic graduands in the country.
He said 13 programmes in the Niger State Polytechnic, which include five National Diplomas (NDs) and eight Higher National Diplomas (HNDs), would be visited in their various departments to ensure their worthiness and value.
Earlier, the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Ibrahim Umar Kontagora, said that the accreditation target was not only in line with the vision of the institution’s visitor and governor of state, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, but also in tandem with the vision of ensuring that Niger State Polytechnic is repositioned to play the role of the country’s excellent, leading and foremost technological and entrepreneurial centre.
He added that the polytechnic would be grounded in the provision of academic courses in Science and Technology, Engineering Technology, Administrative and Business Studies at both National Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels.
Kontagora said that the polytechnic hoped for the success in the accreditation exercise, noting that its success would be attributed to the spirit of hardwork, commitment and sacrifice of members of staff of the institution.
According to the Rector, courses to be accredited by NBTE include HND Urban and Region Planning, HND SLT (Bio-Chemistry), HND SLT (Microbiology), HND SLT (Physics with Electronics), HND Civil Engineering Technology, HND Mechanical Engineering Technology, HND Quantity Surveying, HND Building Technology, ND Electrical Electronics Engineering Technology, ND Mechanical Engineering Technology, ND Science Laboratory Technology, ND Office Technology and Management, and ND Marketing.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN
