July 28, 2025—The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has responded to a paid advertisement placed by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) in the Daily Trust Newspaper on July 24, 2025. The ASUP publication, titled “Redeeming Polytechnic Education from Persistent Existential Threats”, was addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and criticized aspects of the ongoing technical education reforms in Nigeria.
In a detailed press statement, NBTE clarified several claims and outlined key achievements in the transformation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The Board emphasized its commitment to quality assurance and innovation, especially through the adoption of digital technologies.
“The National Board for Technical Education is the first and only regulatory body in Nigeria to introduce digital accreditation in 2024,” the statement read. This digital transition was designed to tackle common issues in the accreditation process, such as data falsification, security concerns, and corruption.
According to the Board, one of the major reforms involved ending the use of borrowed equipment and fake documentation during accreditation visits. “Our use of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI), in particular, has brought an end to this,” the statement noted.
NBTE further highlighted the advantage of online accreditation in overcoming challenges posed by insecurity and poor access in some regions. “Digital Technology has bridged this challenge,” it stated.
In addition, the new system has eliminated physical contact between Board staff and institutions, which the statement described as a solution to the “brown envelope” culture that previously marred credibility in the sector.
As of now, over 90 percent of all accreditation activities are conducted online, making digital verification the standard across most technical institutions. However, the Board confirmed that physical accreditation still applies to a few special cases, especially where internet access is lacking.
“For example, there is a Federal Polytechnic in Taraba State established in 2007, which, up till now, is not on the national grid and has very poor internet services,” the statement explained. Similarly, institutions with weak ICT infrastructure, particularly newer ones, are permitted to undergo physical reviews.
To manage this limited number, less than 10 percent of institutions, NBTE employs accredited vendors to handle the physical process.
“This is a practice in advanced countries,” NBTE stated, citing its current manpower challenges. The Board presently has about 100 program officers supervising roughly 900 institutions nationwide, including polytechnics, colleges of agriculture, nursing, health technology, innovation enterprise institutions, and other specialized bodies.
The Board also noted that no new program officers have been recruited since 2023/24 to replace retired staff.
As a result, the use of vendors became necessary. These vendors, two for each geopolitical zone, were selected in accordance with the Public Procurement Act. “They were approved by the NBTE Tenders Board after advertisements and other screening processes, carried out transparently and witnessed by several stakeholders,” NBTE clarified.
The Board also explained that the vendor-led physical accreditation began in June/July 2025. The Minister of Education approved the process and directed that Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) be done without prior notice.
“We should include ASUP nominees in this exercise,” the Board stated, noting that the union should have waited for the M&E results before drawing conclusions.
In response to broader concerns raised by ASUP, NBTE encouraged constructive dialogue, adding that while government could look into the issues, the union appeared to have strayed from its original mission.
“The Union leadership, coming largely from State Polytechnics, seems to have lost focus and lacks a driving ideology to guide their struggle,” the statement asserted.
“If it were not so, ASUP should have seen NBTE as a partner in progress, that is all out to reposition TVET and promote skills for national development,” the Board added. It recalled the various campaigns launched since the current Executive Secretary assumed office in 2021, all geared toward restructuring the TVET sector.
NBTE also acknowledged the strong support of the Federal Government for technical education under President Tinubu’s leadership. “Now that we have a Federal Government that values TVET, making it a cardinal pillar… there is need to put all hands on deck,” the Board emphasized.
The statement concluded with well wishes to President Tinubu and the newly introduced TVET initiative by the Hon. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. “May God bless His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the New TVET Initiative… May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
