Senate President Godswill Akpabio has promised to ensure enabling laws that would enhance the capacity of the nation’s polytechnics.

Mr Akpabio, represented by Senator Dandutse Muntari, was speaking in Abuja on Friday at a one-day retreat for National Assembly members, chairs of the governing council, rectors, and other stakeholders in the education sector.

The event was organised in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). It has the theme “Repositioning the Nigerian Polytechnics to Deliver on Nigeria’s Industrialisation and Youth Empowerment.”

Mr Akpabio explained that President Bola Tinubu, under the renewed hope agenda, was committed to ensuring the sustainability of employment opportunities and creating industrial development through the polytechnics.

“Skills acquisition and all innovation start with the polytechnics, so there is a need to change the curriculum and also look into the funding of polytechnics so that they can achieve what others did not achieve.

“For example, most of the developed countries, especially China and the rest of European countries, depend on skill acquisition to make inventions and innovations.

“So, it is important we harness these innovations, and that is why we want to use the polytechnics and the educational system under our leadership to ensure that we have sustainable development,” he said.

Speaking on the planned industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), he called for comprehensive dialogue, noting that a strike was not a solution to most challenges in the institutions.

He further explained that the presidency and the leadership of education were doing their best despite the challenges to ensure that prompt payments of their demands were made in addition to providing infrastructural development in the institutions.

Declaring the retreat open, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, said it was imperative to strengthen polytechnic education.

Mr Alausa was represented by the director of the Department of Polytechnics Education and Allied Institutions in the ministry, Alex Usman.

He said this was necessary as polytechnic education played a central role in addressing the challenges of unemployment, underemployment and the growing demand for skilled labour.

“The world is moving rapidly towards a knowledge-driven economy where skills, creativity and technological advancement determine the strength of a nation.

“The importance of repositioning Nigerian polytechnics is strategic to drive the industrialisation agenda and empower youths, who are the backbone of our economy,” he said.

Meanwhile, the executive secretary, NBTE, Idris Bugaje, encouraged polytechnics to stop paper qualifications but deliver on skills and employability to ensure skills qualification for graduates.

Mr Bugaje, while emphasising the importance of the retreat, said it would synergise stakeholders to deliver on the mandate of polytechnic education.

In a goodwill address, the president of ASUP, Shammah Kpanja, called on stakeholders to be mindful of the need to always avert industrial action in repositioning polytechnic education.

(NAN)