By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Mohammed Bugaje has explained that funding of polytechnic education can give a sense of reasoning and development in the country.
The Executive Secretary said this during an interview after commissioning NBTE Research Development and Innovation Exhibition Hall in Kaduna.
“It can really make impact in the Nigerian economy, especially if Nigerian system can recognise polytechnics.
“The point we are raising is the word value. Nigeria should value polytechnics in research and development and give us more funding. The private sector too should collaborate with us because the doors will be opened so that private sector can come to the NBTE and join hands together with an intention to take vocational education to the next level.
“We are going to see what polytechnics are able to produce that is why we set and commissioned this innovation exhibition hall with an intention to update and upgrade it every year with what is coming out from our polytechnics, so that they can be giving a proper place,” he said.
Bugaje further said that other relevant stakeholders can come to NBTE and see what polytechnics are able to produce.
In this regards, we are appealing to government and those from the private sector that we have a workable system on innovation.
“Let’s come together with polytechnics working together and move our country forward. On the issue of funding, now we are inviting the Dangote Group, BUA, private companies all over the country and several others to embrace our own inventions, not importing from some where. We will even be earning foreign exchange for the nation the more we commercialise our products,” he assured.
He said that for example, the 3D printer that are being brought from outside Nigeria, “we are doing it in Kaduna Polytechnic even though the dimenytion may look smaller, but it has the capacity to expand for bigger ir a large scale, three dimensional products.
“We can even build houses with 3D printers. We just put the memory of the design on 3D printer, it can build the house for you. That is why we are appealing to all private sectors to collaborate with Kaduna Polytechnic for better Nigeria by building and producing the products that can be called Nigerian,” he stressed.
He said that in some countries like Korea, there is LG products, in China, there is Samsung, all are being used all over the world.
“Go to Germany, they have Mercedes alongside several others.Then what is the Nigeria contribution to the global village?
“So these are the products that we can develop further because the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step so we have confidence on our polytechnics.
“In the exhibition hall, there are some products that were produced in Nigeria from Kaduna, Auchi, Delta, Mubi, Kwara, Ibadan polytechnics.
“Some.of the products include 3D printers, rice husk gasifire stove, fabricated protective helmet from waste cattle horn fibre, chicken de – feathering machine and serpentine solar water heater and several others that we counted in the exhibition hall, are 19 made in Nigeria products,” he declared.
