By Akinwale Kasali
The National Board of Technical Education, NBTE, has lamented the neglect of Polytechnics by relevant authorities which is affecting the magnitude of researches made not yielding desired results and productivity.
The Board also lamented that there is no synergy between the Polytechnics and Universities in the conduct of innovative research that would meet the needs of the society.
Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, made this disclosure in Abuja, the country’s Capital on Wednesday, during an interactive meeting with Rectors and Directors of Research of Polytechnics on National Research Fund, grants organised by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
“Research and development is a topical issue. TETFund has created NRF to drive high level of research that could led innovation. Today, in Nigeria, almost 99.9 percent of these researches do not yield innovation. They end up as journal papers published in papers and cited.
“Therefore, there must be synergy between Universities and Polytechnics if our research and development is to lead to innovation.
“I’m calling for a very close collaboration, if necessary, I would like the NRF to give a section of its grants for these activities by the polytechnics, even continue to fund fundamental research.
“NRF must have a rethink and we must allocate certain amounts for this level of moving our research to commercialisation,” he said.
In the same vein, the executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, tasked polytechnics across the country to embark on quality research proposals that would translate into commercial and innovative use.
Echono noted that “No research would be of benefit to a country like Nigeria “If we are not translating that and applying the products of such research to affect our daily lives; if we are not transferring that knowledge, that creative spark, into the production of goods and services that could create employment for our people, that would improve our standard of living and that would grow our economy, and activate all segments of our economy.”
The TETFund boss stressed the compelling need for skilled manpower in the country, stating that “We are producing graduates in an economy that is underdeveloped yet they are unable to find employment.
He also lamented the huge shortage of skills in critical sectors of the nation’s economy, stating that It means we are not producing graduates that are fit for purpose, that meet the needs of the industry, that are ready to take up responsibility and contribute their quota upon engagement.
“We are having situations where foreign concerns, foreign companies, foreign businesses are relocating to our country under the guise of not having the right manpower to carry out their operations.
“We are having a situation where side-by-side there is very high graduate unemployment. It’s a huge shortage of skills in critical sectors of our national economy.
