Stakeholders in Nigeria’s polytechnic education sector have expressed concern over what they described as discriminatory admission policies and the continued marginalisation of polytechnics within the country’s tertiary education system.
Their concerns stem from the admission benchmarks approved for the 2026 academic session, where the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) fixed the minimum admission score for universities at 150, while polytechnics and colleges of education were assigned a lower benchmark of 100.
According to the stakeholders, the disparity reinforces negative perceptions about polytechnic education, discourages enrolment, and weakens efforts to develop the skilled workforce needed for Nigeria’s industrial and economic growth.
The issues were raised during the maiden International Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti Chapter, which was held virtually and attended by academics, administrators, union leaders, alumni, and industry experts.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference, signed by the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Dr. Peter Ajewole, and the Secretary, Dr. Ige Ayeni, participants argued that the unequal admission requirements continue to divert talented students away from institutions specifically established to provide technical and vocational education.
The stakeholders maintained that polytechnics remain crucial to Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda and should not be treated as inferior alternatives to universities. They noted that the long-standing perception of polytechnic education as being of lower quality has discouraged many academically gifted students from considering technical institutions despite the practical relevance and rigorous nature of their programmes.
To address the challenge, the conference called on the Federal Government to introduce a uniform merit-based admission system across all tertiary institutions. Participants urged policymakers to eliminate what they described as unfair admission disadvantages facing polytechnics and create a level playing field for all higher institutions.
The conference also highlighted a worrying decline in polytechnic enrolment. According to participants, despite Nigeria’s tertiary education gross enrolment ratio standing at approximately 13.5 per cent, less than five per cent of admission seekers currently choose polytechnics. They warned that the trend could negatively affect the country’s ability to produce the technical manpower required for national development.
Beyond admission concerns, the stakeholders identified several challenges affecting the sector, including inadequate funding, obsolete regulatory frameworks, poor industry collaboration, weak digital infrastructure, limited research commercialisation, and exclusion from major national development initiatives.
Participants specifically raised concerns about the newly established National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF). While commending the Federal Executive Council for approving the initiative in May 2026, they noted that the proposed governance structure does not explicitly recognise polytechnics despite their contributions to applied research and technological innovation.
The conference described the fund, which is expected to provide annual support of up to $500 million for research and innovation activities, as one of the most significant investments in Nigeria’s research ecosystem since independence. However, stakeholders warned that excluding polytechnics from its framework would deepen existing inequalities within the education sector.
They therefore called for legislative provisions that would formally include polytechnics as beneficiaries of the fund and establish a dedicated funding allocation based on the number of institutions and the country’s technical workforce needs.
Participants also urged the government to increase funding for education in line with UNESCO’s recommendation that countries allocate between 15 and 20 per cent of their national budgets to the sector. They stressed the need for greater investment in laboratories, workshops, research facilities, digital infrastructure, and staff capacity development.
The conference further observed that many polytechnics are struggling to adapt to digital transformation due to inadequate internet connectivity, underdeveloped e-learning systems, and limited access to modern information and communication technologies.
In addition, participants noted that many lecturers require further training in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence-powered teaching tools, digital assessment platforms, and modern project management systems.
To improve the situation, stakeholders called on polytechnic managements to prioritise digital literacy training, upgrade ICT infrastructure, and integrate modern technologies into teaching, learning, and administration.
The conference also emphasised the need for stronger partnerships between polytechnics and industries, noting that many research findings and innovations produced within the institutions often remain unused instead of being developed into commercial products or practical industrial solutions.
