THE Nigerian government has approved a one-year moratorium for new applications for polytechnics and monotechnics with immediate effect.
This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday, February 13, by the executive secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Idris Bugaje, in Kaduna.
Bugaje said the move was to ensure that tertiary technical and vocational education and training institutions “are properly populated within their approved carrying capacities.”
The decision got the approval of the minister of education, Tunji Alausa, a doctorate holder.
The development comes a day after the Ministry of Education declared a one-year suspension on the establishment of new private universities in Nigeria.
Babuje said that the government exempted health institutions from the moratorium due to low enrollment the faced.
“Polytechnics awaiting ministerial approval will be required to pay an application fee of N4 million and a processing fee of N2 million per programme of study” he said.
It also noted that monotechnics would pay an application fee of N2 million and a processing fee of N1 million per programme of study.
He warned that applicants had 30 days to make the payments, or their registration process would be terminated.
“New health institutions, which are exempted from the moratorium, will pay the same fees as monotechnics for registration.” he stressed.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.
I just made a similar commentary on the value of Polytechnics to HE in Commonwealth countries including Nigeria and others in the Global South.