?Our country risks widening skills gap, says Communications strategist

? ?We will be producing more paper-qualified graduates, fewer technicians?

As Nigeria grapples with the urgent need to expand access to higher education, a worrisome trend has emerged: the widespread conversion of colleges of technology into conventional universities.

While this move may seem like progress on the surface, experts are worried it poses serious risks to the nation?s development.

They are worried this shift undermines technical education, weakens skill-based training, and threatens to widen the gap between academic qualifications and real-world employability.

About 24 polytechnics and colleges of education have been converted to universities by the federal and state governments.

Some of the institutions converted include Abia State Polytechnic, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro; Federal Polytechnic, Ofa; Yaba College of Technology; Kaduna State Polytechnic; Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, among others.

Polytechnics were originally established for a special purpose, chiefly to equip students with technical and practical knowledge.

Stakeholders are concerned that the conversion trend is worrisome, considering the function the two cadres play in producing middle-level manpower.

Isaac Agenyi, chief executive officer at Moto Business Services Nigeria, said converting polytechnics to universities can be potentially dangerous to the country?s economic development, especially if not handled with strategic foresight.

?Polytechnics are designed to provide practical training in technical and vocational fields such as engineering, ICT, agriculture, among others. The focus is on producing technicians, technologists, and skilled artisans, who are critical to industrialisation and infrastructure development.

?The conversion tends to shift focus toward theoretical and research-based education, which often doesn?t emphasise technical skills. This may lead to a shortage of skilled technicians, leaving a gap between policy goals and labour market needs,? he emphasised.

Agenyi expressed concerns that the conversion would amount to reducing alternative pathways for young people to acquire market-relevant, job-ready skills, hence, further flooding the labour market with degree holders who may be unprepared for self-employment or entrepreneurship.

?Rather than promoting parity and respect for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, the conversion sends a signal that polytechnic education is inferior, instead of celebrating it as a complementary pathway.

?This devalues technical education and discourages students from pursuing vocational careers, which are essential for national productivity,? he said.

He further said that countries with strong manufacturing and industrial bases, such as Germany and South Korea, among others, rely heavily on well-structured technical and vocational education systems.

?If Nigeria sidelines its polytechnics, it risks undermining efforts to build local capacity in engineering, maintenance, construction, fabrication, and other fields critical to infrastructure and economic competitiveness.

?Furthermore, most polytechnics are not originally structured for research-intensive education like universities. Converting them without adequate investment in facilities, faculty qualifications, and curriculum reform leads to poor-quality university education, while simultaneously losing the practical training that polytechnics were known for. This could lead to institutional confusion and inefficiency,? Agenyi explained.

He further said that the real issue was not whether polytechnics exist in Nigeria, but that they are underfunded, under-recognised, and have limited career progression for graduates.

According to him, instead of converting polytechnics to universities, Nigeria should reform and strengthen polys to align with 21st-century industry needs.

Besides, he said the government should ensure equal recognition and career opportunities for HND holders, and foster collaboration between polytechnics and industry for internships and innovation development.

In addition, he said, the government should establish clear pathways for technical graduates to further their education without needing a university degree.

?Converting polytechnics to universities may appear politically attractive, but it risks undermining the technical workforce Nigeria needs to diversify its economy, reduce unemployment, and build infrastructure.

?A dual-track system where both universities and polytechnics thrive in their distinct but complementary roles is more beneficial to Nigeria?s sustainable economic development,? Agenyi said.

Kelvin Bob-Manuel, a marketing communications strategist at West Africa Vocational Education, said that the ongoing conversion of polytechnics to universities reflects a deeper societal bias that university education is superior.

This mindset, he emphasised, is dangerous for Nigeria?s economic development.

?Polytechnics were established to produce technically-skilled manpower, hands-on professionals who build, fix, and innovate. In contrast, universities are more theory-driven, producing researchers and academics. However you look at it, we need both.

?By turning polytechnics into universities, we risk widening the skills gap, producing more paper-qualified graduates but fewer technicians, artisans, among others. These are the very people who drive industrialisation, infrastructure, and manufacturing,? he said.

Bob-Manuel urged the government to upgrade the facilities, update curricula, and elevate the status of technical education, instead of converting polytechnics.

?Let?s stop chasing prestige and start focusing on purpose; the economy needs balance, not uniformity,? he noted.

However, Ashley Abiodun-Dejo, a former lecturer at Yaba College of Technology, does not see any danger in the conversion.

?I don?t think it?s dangerous; moreover, we still have more polys than universities, and I think those converted ones will be awarding BTech, which is synonymous with BSc,? he said.

Abiodun-Dejo emphasised that it would be difficult to wipe out polytechnics in the Nigerian education space, because, according to him, this cadre of tertiary education uses different criteria to admit candidates.

Besides, he said that polytechnics have courses different from those of the university; hence, graduates from those converted could still be awarded OND and HND, and by the time the parity is normalised, Nigerians would not notice any differences. (Business Day)

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