The House of Representatives has openly related plans on advocating for better funding allocation to Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria, which is to be cited in the 2025 budget.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, Kayode Laguda, today Tuesday, 15th of October, 2024.
In an interview chat with newsmen at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, shortly after the committee’s oversight functions, the legislator stated that there has been inadequate funding allocation made available for existing polytechnics in the country over the years which demands urgent upgrade.
The polytechnic's Rector, Dr. Kadiri Kamoru, while speaking earlier, appealed to the Federal Government to pump in more money into the tertiary sector.
“inject more money into the polytechnic sector for Nigeria to develop technologically" he said.
He further said that, as a committee they intend to advocate for more funds in next year's budget.
“Funding issues are not peculiar to Federal Polytechnic, Offa alone. Other Federal Polytechnics that the committee has visited have also raised funding concerns. So we intend, as a committee, to advocate for increased funding from the Federal Government for the polytechnic community in next year’s budget and beyond" he said.
On the committee’s mission to the institution, the lawmaker stated, “We are here to carry out our statutory oversight functions. We had a very long day, going through their documentation. For all the things we did not get to see, we asked them to forward those to us in our office.”
Speaking further, the Rector also urged the Federal Government to also grant degree-awarding status to Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria.
He stated that : “That status would eliminate the vexed issue of the dichotomy between polytechnic and university graduates in the country.”
“We have a Polytechnic Act that empowers us to award degrees. We have middle-level and high-level manpower. We have everything, including the manpower requirements for the award of degrees at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa; we can boast of 65 academic staff who have PhD degrees in various disciplines, so we are qualified to award degrees to our students.”
He also added that, going further, there will be no dichotomy between university and polytechnic graduates, saying that Polytechnics have capable hands as well.
“If the Federal Government allows us to award degrees and establishes a professorial cadre in the polytechnics, there will be no dichotomy between university and polytechnic graduates. Polytechnics have capable hands. Here in Offa, I can tell you that we have more than 65 doctoral degree holders,” he said.
