‘We won’t stop fighting you,’ NBTE warns fake institutions

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has reaffirmed its commitment to cracking down on unaccredited institutions masquerading as polytechnics, warning that such practices threaten the government’s drive to deliver quality education.

In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed a rise in so-called “mushroom” polytechnics — schools operating without accreditation or adequate facilities. Many of these institutions lack qualified lecturers, proper infrastructure, and standard curricula, thereby endangering the academic and professional future of their students.

Speaking during an accreditation visit to Harvarde College of Science, Business and Management Studies in Obada, Abeokuta, the Director of Polytechnic and Allied Programmes, NBTE, Dr. Fatimah Kabir Umar, said, “We have been fighting against mushroom entities calling themselves what they are not. We won’t stop to fight such an establishment in the interest of safeguarding what is best for the nation. Yes, we know that there is no way we won’t have a few bad eggs around, but we shall continue to fight them and ensure that they do not stand in the way of the government’s commitment to the delivery of qualitative education at all levels.”

She emphasised that polytechnic education in Nigeria is progressing in the right direction, noting that it remains vital to developing a skilled and competent workforce for the nation.

“Yes, knowledge is good, but we can’t put all our eggs in one basket, and so in terms of execution of this knowledge, the polytechnic education has been leading, and that is why the polytechnic education has remained relevant to building a more prosperous nation,” Umar said.

Umar explained that the NBTE team was in the school to accredit programmes in science and management fields, including Business Administration and Computer Science, which has now been unbundled into courses such as Software Development and Cybersecurity. She noted that the school’s facilities and infrastructure had improved, but urged lecturers to invest more in personal development by joining professional bodies, attending conferences, and publishing academic work.

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She further praised the college management for aligning with the federal government’s push for quality tertiary education and urged them to maintain their commitment to high standards.

The founder and Provost of Harvarde College, Dr. Oluwatosin Adebayo, said the NBTE visit covered about eight courses, including Film and Multimedia Production, Journalism and Media Studies, Accountancy, Business Administration, Law, Networking and Cloud Computing, and Software and Web Development. 

He added that the visit also included accreditation of Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes, which would allow graduates to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Adebayo explained that accreditation visits are conducted every two years as part of routine quality assurance measures. He reaffirmed the institution’s dedication to ongoing investments aimed at reinforcing its standing in the education sector.

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