NBTE bans non-accredited programmes in polytechnics, other institutions

The National Board for Technical Education has banned all Diploma programmes other than the National Diploma run by some polytechnics and other Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions across the country.

This was contained in a statement by the Board’s Head of Media Unit, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, quoted the NBTE’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje.

Bugaje noted that the ban became necessary in view of the proliferation of ‘unaccredited’ Diplomas which are not acceptable for career progression or academic advancement.

In the statement titled, ‘NBTE bans uncredited programmes,’ and released to newsmen in Kaduna, Bugaje called on affected institutions to seek the board’s approval to formalise such Diplomas by subjecting them to the Quality assurance mechanism of the NBTE.

He added that such Diplomas had since been banned, adding, however, that some institutions still offer the programmes “sometimes with affiliation with other institutions.”

According to him, findings indicate that the polytechnic Diploma run by approved institutions are not accredited by NBTE, and are mostly for Internally Generated Revenue purposes.

Bugaje lamented that holders of non-accredited Diplomas are often left in a dilemma as they neither secure employment nor progress academically with such qualification, adding that the board was always inundated with requests for clarification and evaluation of the certificates by Nigeria and International Organisations as well as foreign missions.

Punch