Stakeholders in Nigeria’s polytechnic education sub-sector have condemned the persistent discriminatory admission policies and systemic neglect of polytechnics, warning that the trend is discouraging enrolment, depriving the country of critical technical manpower and undermining industrial development.
Disparities in Admission Cut-Off Marks
For the 2026 admissions, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) set the minimum baseline for university admissions at 150, while polytechnics and colleges of education were pegged lower at 100. Stakeholders noted that the disparity has continued to fuel negative perceptions and a talent drain from institutions specifically designed to meet Nigeria’s technical and industrial manpower needs.
Rising from their virtual maiden international conference, which brought together academics, administrators, union leaders, alumni and industry stakeholders, the group, in a communiqué signed by the Chairman of the conference organising committee, Dr Peter Ajewole, and Secretary, Dr Ige Ayeni, lamented that disparities in admission cut-off marks between universities and polytechnics contribute significantly to declining enrolment across the sector.
“The disparities in admission cut-off mark for universities and polytechnics contributed to talent drain from the institutions, which are most suited to serve the needs of Nigeria’s industrial development,” the communique read in part.
Perception of Inferiority
The conference further observed that the perception of polytechnics as inferior to universities remains a major barrier to attracting academically talented students. “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.
Call for Uniform Merit-Based Admission
To reverse the trend, the conference urged the Federal Government to implement a uniform merit-based admission policy across all tertiary institutions. Among its recommendations, the conference called on the government to adopt consistent merit-based admission cut-off requirements between all tertiary institutions, while removing the unfair disadvantage that polytechnics face in the process. The stakeholders argued that technical and vocational education institutions play a critical role in producing skilled manpower required for national development and should not be treated as second-choice alternatives to universities.
The conference noted that despite Nigeria’s low gross enrolment ratio in tertiary education of 13.5 per cent, enrolment in polytechnics had dropped to below five per cent of youths seeking admission into tertiary institutions. Participants warned that such a trend poses a threat to national development, particularly at a time when the country is seeking to expand its industrial base and strengthen technical skills acquisition.
Structural Challenges
Beyond admission policies, the conference identified a range of structural challenges confronting polytechnic education in Nigeria, including inadequate funding, outdated regulatory frameworks, weak industry collaboration, poor digital infrastructure, insufficient research commercialisation and continued exclusion from major national development programmes.
The conference also raised concerns over the newly established National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF). While commending the Federal Executive Council for approving the initiative on May 9, participants noted that the framework failed to specifically recognise polytechnics despite their role in applied research and technical innovation. The conference described the proposed fund, which could provide yearly funding of up to $500 million, as the most significant intervention in Nigeria’s research and development ecosystem since independence. However, participants warned that excluding polytechnics from the scheme would reinforce long-standing inequalities within the tertiary education system.
“The NRIDF governance structure presently does not mention polytechnics, except 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. The conference, therefore, called for the inclusion of polytechnics as eligible beneficiaries of the fund, along with the creation of a dedicated funding stream based on the number of institutions and Nigeria’s technical manpower requirements.
Investment in Infrastructure
Participants stressed the need for sustained investment in laboratories, workshops, digital infrastructure, research facilities and staff development programmes. The conference observed that many polytechnic campuses remain poorly equipped for digital transformation, with inadequate internet connectivity, weak e-learning systems and limited access to modern information and communication technologies. It also noted that many academic staff lack proficiency in industry-standard digital tools, including artificial intelligence-assisted teaching systems, automated grading platforms and digital project management applications.
To address these challenges, the stakeholders called on institutional leadership across the polytechnic sector to invest in digital literacy programmes, modern ICT infrastructure and AI-integrated teaching and administrative systems.
Industry Partnerships
The conference also highlighted the growing importance of partnerships between polytechnics and industry. It argued that many research outputs generated by academic staff remain confined to institutional repositories rather than being transformed into commercial products or industrial solutions. It pointed to growing opportunities in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, digital economy and manufacturing industry, urging polytechnics to position themselves as key players in applied research and innovation.
Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Dr Temitope Alake, in his opening remarks, challenged polytechnics to align their activities with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and embrace innovation-driven education. Alake said institutions must move beyond traditional theory-based learning and adopt competency-based approaches that produce graduates equipped to meet contemporary industry demands.
Similarly, the President of the Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti Alumni Association, Badru Rafiu, identified discriminatory admission policies, inadequate funding, outdated curricula, weak industry collaboration, poor digital infrastructure, and negative public perception as major obstacles limiting the growth of polytechnic education in Nigeria.
The stakeholders warned that the window for meaningful reform is narrowing and urged all relevant actors—including government, lawmakers, regulators, industry leaders, alumni and academic staff—to take urgent action.
