Stakeholders in Nigeria’s polytechnic education sector have raised concerns over what they describe as persistent discriminatory admission policies and systemic neglect that continue to undermine the growth of technical education in the country.
Account to The Punch, for the 2026 admission cycle, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board set the minimum cut-off mark for university admissions at 150, while polytechnics and colleges of education were pegged lower at 100.
Stakeholders argue that this disparity is discouraging applicants from choosing polytechnics, thereby weakening efforts to build a skilled technical workforce needed for national industrialisation.
The concerns were voiced at the maiden International Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti Chapter, which was held virtually and attracted academics, administrators, union leaders, alumni, and industry representatives.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the conference and signed by the Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee, Dr Peter Ajewole, and Secretary, Dr Ige Ayeni, participants said the continued gap in admission standards between universities and polytechnics was contributing to a steady loss of talent from institutions designed specifically for technical manpower development.
They stated that negative perceptions about polytechnic education were worsening enrolment challenges across the sector.
“The disparities in admission cut-off mark for universities and polytechnics based on discrimination continue to contribute to talent drain from the institutions which are most suited to serve the needs of Nigeria’s industrial development,” the communiqué stated.
According to the stakeholders, the perception that polytechnics are inferior to universities remains a major barrier preventing high-performing students from enrolling, despite the practical and industry-focused nature of polytechnic training.
“The perception of polytechnic education as an institution of lesser quality than the university remains a barrier to high-performing students and represents a systemic disadvantage, even in the face of the equivalent, if not superior, rigour and applicability of the polytechnic curriculum,” the stakeholders said.
To address the imbalance, the conference urged the Federal Government to introduce a uniform, merit-based admission system across all tertiary institutions in the country.
Among its recommendations, participants called for “adopt consistent merit-based admission cut-off requirements between all tertiary institutions, while removing the unfair disadvantage that polytechnics face in the process.”
They stressed that polytechnics and technical education institutions are central to producing the skilled workforce required for Nigeria’s development and should not be treated as secondary options to universities.
The stakeholders also expressed concern that despite Nigeria’s already low tertiary education gross enrolment ratio of 13.5 per cent, enrolment in polytechnics has fallen to below five per cent of youths seeking higher education.
They warned that the trend could have serious consequences for national development, particularly as Nigeria intensifies efforts to expand its industrial base and strengthen technical capacity.
Beyond admissions, the conference highlighted several structural challenges affecting the sector, including inadequate funding, outdated regulatory systems, weak industry partnerships, poor digital infrastructure, limited research commercialisation, and exclusion from key national development initiatives.
Attention was also drawn to the newly established National Research and Innovation Development Fund, which stakeholders described as exclusionary in its current design.
While commending the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the initiative on May 9, 2026, participants noted that the governance framework did not explicitly include polytechnics, despite their role in applied research and innovation.
The fund, which could provide up to $500 million annually, was described as one of the most significant interventions in Nigeria’s research ecosystem since independence.
However, stakeholders warned that excluding polytechnics from its structure would deepen inequality within the tertiary education system.
“The NRIDF governance structure presently does not mention polytechnics, but it does mention the Committee of Vice-Chancellors. This exclusion of polytechnics in major national frameworks is a structural risk which must be corrected through legislation before the enabling Act is finalised,” the communiqué stated.
They therefore called for the explicit inclusion of polytechnics among beneficiaries of the fund, along with a dedicated funding arrangement aligned with national manpower needs and institutional distribution.
The conference further urged government to increase education funding in line with UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15 to 20 per cent of national budgets.
Participants emphasised the need for sustained investment in laboratories, workshops, ICT infrastructure, digital systems, research facilities, and staff training.
They also observed that many polytechnic campuses remain poorly equipped for digital transformation, citing weak internet access, underdeveloped e-learning systems, and limited adoption of modern ICT tools.
In addition, concerns were raised about staff capacity gaps in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence-based teaching tools, automated grading systems, and digital management platforms.
To bridge these gaps, stakeholders called on institutional leaders to prioritise digital literacy, upgrade infrastructure, and integrate AI-driven systems into teaching and administration.
The conference further emphasised stronger collaboration between polytechnics and industry, noting that many research outputs remain unused or confined to academic repositories instead of being converted into practical industrial solutions.
It highlighted opportunities in sectors such as solid minerals, manufacturing, and the digital economy, urging polytechnics to position themselves as drivers of applied innovation.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Dr Temitope Alake, in his opening remarks, encouraged institutions to align their work with the Sustainable Development Goals and adopt innovation-driven education models.
He noted that institutions must move beyond theoretical learning and embrace competency-based approaches that better prepare graduates for industry demands, citing the institution’s research achievements and patent-certified innovations as evidence of the sector’s potential.
Similarly, the President of the Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti Alumni Association, Badru Rafiu, identified several challenges facing the sector, including discriminatory admission policies, poor funding, outdated curricula, weak industry links, inadequate infrastructure, and negative public perception.
He called for stronger support for applied research, improved laboratories, competitive research grants, interdisciplinary collaboration, and greater recognition of innovation outcomes.
The conference concluded that Nigeria’s polytechnics already possess the intellectual capacity and technical expertise needed to drive industrial growth and economic transformation.
According to the communiqué, the core challenge is not capacity but systemic neglect, weak policy support, and insufficient legislative backing.
“The quality and breadth of research presented across all eight schools affirm that The Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti has both the will and the capability to be a leading institution of applied innovation in Nigeria,” the communiqué stated.
“The challenge is systemic, not intellectual.”
The stakeholders cautioned that the window for meaningful reform is narrowing and called for urgent intervention from government, lawmakers, regulators, industry players, alumni, and academic staff.
“This communiqué is not a ceremonial document. It is a call to action,” the conference declared.
“Every institution, every academic, every alumni member, and every government stakeholder referenced herein has a defined and urgent role to play. The future of polytechnic education in Nigeria is being written now.”
