NBTE Intensifies Action Against Fake Polytechnics

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has vowed to sustain its crackdown on mushroom institutions parading as polytechnics.

This follows the board’s announcement of a landmark collaboration with MOC-LLC, a United States-based research and training body, to introduce Applied Interdisciplinary Engineering and Technology Research into Nigerian polytechnics.

According to the NBTE, the partnership will bring fresh initiatives to transform the sector into a hub of innovation, research, and job creation.

During an accreditation visit to Harvarde College of Science, Business and Management Studies in Abeokuta, Ogun State, NBTE’s Director of Polytechnic and Allied Programmes, Dr. Fatimah Kabir Umar, said the agency would not relent in its fight against unaccredited institutions undermining the government’s commitment to quality education.

“We have been fighting against mushroom entities calling themselves what they are not… We won’t stop fighting such establishments in the interest of safeguarding what is best for the nation.

“Yes, we know that there is no way we won’t have a few bad eggs around, but we shall continue to fight them and ensure that they do not stand in the way of the government’s commitment to delivering qualitative education at all levels,” Umar stated.

She encouraged lecturers at the institution to pursue personal development and register with relevant professional bodies. She also commended the school’s management for complementing the Federal Government’s efforts to provide quality tertiary education.

The founder and Provost of the college, Dr. Oluwatosin Adebayo, reaffirmed the school’s commitment to continuous investment that would strengthen its operations. He disclosed that NBTE’s visit was for resource inspection and accreditation of about eight programmes, including film and multimedia production, journalism and media studies, accountancy, business administration, networking and cloud computing, software and web development, and institutional accreditation.

In Kaduna, NBTE’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, highlighted the partnership with MOC-LLC, noting that it focuses on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and open-source technologies.

He explained that lecturers had already undergone training nationwide, which will culminate in the first international seminar and conference in Abuja in November.

According to Bugaje, the reforms represent “a complete paradigm shift” that will enable polytechnics to move from theory to practical solutions while equipping graduates to become job creators rather than job seekers.

The training programme, which began last year, responds directly to the global rise of AI and the increasing adoption of open-source LINUX platforms in both education and industry. Bugaje described the collaboration as “a turning point for polytechnic education in Nigeria,” stressing that technology-driven innovation must drive the country’s industrialisation agenda.

“What we are witnessing is a complete paradigm shift. This programme has empowered our lecturers with skills in machine learning, symbolic computation, and applied research techniques that will transform not only classrooms but entire communities.

“We are moving from theory to practice, from certificates to solutions,” Bugaje said.

NBTE’s Head of Linkages and Research, Dr. Zakari Abdullahi, who coordinated the programme, described it as “a game changer” for polytechnic education.

“For the first time, our lecturers now have the capacity to integrate cutting-edge research methods into teaching and learning. This will not only boost innovation in our institutions but will also translate into real-world solutions for national development,” he said.

A high-level NBTE delegation, including the Rector of Bayelsa State Polytechnic, Mr. Wisdom Clinton, recently visited MOC-LLC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, to cement institutional ties. According to Abdullahi, the Atlanta team demonstrated strong commitment to supporting Nigerian lecturers through technical deployment, curriculum innovation, and research guidance.

The initiative will climax at the first NBTE International Seminar and Conference on Applied Interdisciplinary Engineering and Technology, scheduled for November 25–27, 2025, at the UBEC Digital Centre, Kado, Abuja.

More than 46 research groups are expected to present their work at the conference, showcasing how the NBTE-MOC training has transformed teaching, research, and innovation across Nigerian polytechnics.

“The Abuja conference will be a landmark event. It will demonstrate the impact of this training on research output, knowledge sharing, and technology adoption in our polytechnics,” Bugaje added.

The MOC-LLC team expressed delight with the progress of the partnership so far, describing it as “a model of servant scholarship” designed to ensure that Nigerian lecturers lead Africa’s innovation drive in applied engineering research.