Reps advances Bill to empower polytechnics to award Bachelor’s degrees

The House of Representatives has advanced a bill that seeks to empower polytechnics across Nigeria to award bachelor’s degrees, as the proposed legislation successfully passed its second reading on the floor of the National Assembly.

The bill, which is sponsored by Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, and Lagos lawmaker Faud Laguda of the All Progressives Congress (APC), aims to amend the Federal Polytechnics Act of 2004 to expand the academic scope of polytechnics and enhance technical education in the country.

The legislation proposes several significant changes to the existing law, including:

Expansion of Polytechnic Governing Councils: Clause 3 of the bill seeks to amend Section 3 of the Principal Act to include representatives from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in the governing councils of every polytechnic. This amendment aims to strengthen industry-academic collaboration and improve the quality of technical education in Nigeria.

Higher Qualification Requirements for Rectors: Another provision in Clause 3 proposes an amendment to Section 8 of the Federal Polytechnics Act to require that candidates seeking to become rectors of federal polytechnics must possess a PhD. This is intended to enhance leadership quality and academic standards within polytechnics.

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Introduction of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) Degrees: Clause 4 of the bill seeks to amend Section 15 of the existing law to grant academic boards of polytechnics the power to confer Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degrees on graduating students. This reform aims to bridge the gap between polytechnics and universities, ensuring polytechnic graduates have enhanced qualifications that meet global industry standards.

While leading the debate on the bill, Hon. Faud Laguda argued that the amendment is necessary to ensure that Nigeria’s polytechnic institutions evolve to meet the demands of an ever-changing world while aligning with international best practices.

“The proposed amendments will enable polytechnics to meet up with the demand of the ever-changing world while adhering to international best practices. The overall objective is to improve the provision of technical education to Nigerian students through a better-organized polytechnic system,” Laguda stated.

Following deliberations, when Speaker Abbas called for a voice vote, the bill received overwhelming support from lawmakers across party lines, signaling strong bipartisan backing for the reform.

The bill will now move to the committee stage for further legislative scrutiny before proceeding to a third reading and possible passage into law.

More updates will follow as deliberations progress in the National Assembly.