CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Polytechnics are higher institutions set up primarily to produce indepthtechnical manpower in administrative, technical and commercial fields for thedevelopment of national economy. In Nigeria, it is widely recognized thatpolytechnics play crucial roles in the education of future leaders anddevelopment of high level technical manpower. According to the NationalBoard for Technical Education (1993), polytechnics are technical institutionsoffering multi post-secondary technical education programmes outside theuniversities leading to the award of diplomas/certificates such as the NationalDiploma (ND), Higher National Diploma HND) and Post-HND professionaldiplomas. Okpeodua (2007) opines that the decision of the Federal Governmentto set up polytechnic education was predicated on the decision to revolutionizethe society technologically. Hence, polytechnics are established to train andproduce the technical manpower necessary for the execution of the nation’sdevelopment plans, goals and strategies. This is a role which they haveeffectively played since the establishment of the first polytechnic, YabaCollege of Technology, in 1947.

The sensitive position of polytechnics in the Nigerian educationalsystem is vividly captured by the 2002 education summit organized by theFederal Ministry of Education. In the summit, polytechnics were recognized asauthentic tertiary educational institutions on the same pedestal as universities, xvbut with its own characteristic orientation towards the production oftechnological manpower and technological innovation for industrialdevelopment in Nigeria. The federal ministry of education summit (2002)therefore resolved that the mission of polytechnics is to produce knowledgeableand innovative graduates worthy in character and learning through effectiveteaching, research and public service for the technological advancement of thecountry.

The core functions of polytechnics as captured in section (2) of federalpolytechnic Act (1979) are:

(a) to provide full-time or part-time courses of instruction andtraining in technology, applied science, commerce andmanagement, and in such other fields of applied learningrelevant to the needs of the development of Nigeria in theareas of industrial and agricultural production and distributionand for research in the development and adaptation oftechniques as the council may from time to time determine;(c) to arrange conferences, seminars and study groups relative tothe fields of learning specified in paragraph (a) of thissubsection (i);(d) to perform such other functions as in the opinion of Councilmay serve to promote the objectives of the polytechnic(p.5878).

In the same vein, section 80(c) of the National policy on Education(FRN) (2004) states that “polytechnics shall give training and impact necessaryskills that will fast track the nation’s drive towards technological developmentas well as producing graduates who can prove themselves worthy men andwomen and who are able to use their brain as adequately as they can apply theirhands.