The acting Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Ekpenyong Ekpenyong, said having a well-crafted strategic plan will help the board address challenges bedevilling it, especially on issues of deviation from their mandate.
He stated this at the national workshop on Developing a Proper Institutional Strategic Plan, yesterday in Abuja, adding that they were challenged by some institutions under their purview that was deviating from their major functions.
“Some of the polytechnics want to leave their major functions and adopt those of the university system and other things but by the time you have the strategic plan in place, you will come under a redefined way to follow and to achieve your mandate,” he explained.
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While noting that the creation of councils in polytechnics also caused another challenge, he said, “Some institutions have gone to offer NCE and programmes in law which are not under our purview. This is because they deviated from the mandate knowingly or unknowingly.”
He said another aspect of NBTE which has been violated is the issue of funding.
The “NBTE Act says all funds to the TVET sections should pass through NBTE but today that is not the norm; they get their money directly from the source or federal government.”
On sanctions, he said they have some time closed down the Polytechnic of Ibadan for splitting one school into three and creating satellite campuses; IMT Enugu for over carrying capacities and some private institutions that had not properly gone through their certification. He said they were handed over to ICPC, EFCC and the police for various charges.
