The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, has said Nigerian polytechnics now have more staff with doctorate degrees than universities.

Prof. Bugaje also called on the Federal Government to revise the TETFund allocation formula to benefit polytechnics more.

In an interview with The Guardian, the NBTE Executive Secretary said the shift in academic staffing highlights the growing academic prowess of polytechnics, warranting a reassessment of funding allocations to support their continued growth and development.

He said: “Some of them (polytechnics) have more Ph.D. holders than most of the universities in Nigeria.

“When I took over Kaduna Polytechnic in 2017, I met a department with 40 Ph.D. holders — the Department of Technical Education. In fact, I upgraded that department to a college. So we have the capacity, relevant doctorate holders, people with the relevant industry skills that can be impacted.”

The Don disclosed that the regulatory body has also made it mandatory for every graduate of a polytechnic to have a second certificate on skills.

According to the NBTE boss, every polytechnic graduate will now be required to possess a second certificate in a specific skill.

While stressing that skills are the global currency of labour, he pointed out that this new requirement aims to equip polytechnic graduates with practical skills, making them more employable and competitive in the global job market.

The Guardian reports that the current sharing formula for regular intervention, as enshrined in the TETFund’s Establishment Act, is centred on a 2:1:1 ratio for the universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, respectively.

But Bugaje advocated for an equal share, emphasising that “In reality, polytechnics are the ones doing skills training. I would like the TETFund allocation formula to be revised. If we don’t get more, let us get equal so that we can now train more Nigerians on skills, and this will impact more positively on the economy.”