Education
El-rufai’s Education Policy And The NLC’s Resistance
IT is no gainsaying stressing the fact that Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has a strong determination at improving the quality of education in that state. In this regard, he deemed it imperative to conduct a competency test for the teachers in the public primary schools.
The objective of this test was to determine the levels of competence, efficiency and commitment towards realising the set-goals and objectives.The government, by this action, has not gone beyond its mandate as being canvassed by some observers.To the utmost surprise of the discerning minds, the outcome of the exercise was horrible.
Most of us in the education field are yet to recover from the shocks which we experienced at the scenario of this unfortunate development in which the teachers failed the tests meant for the pupils in primary four.
It is an irony of tragic and monumental proportion to observe that the teaching personnel who are supposed to teach the pupils the correct academic inputs are caught in the web of failing the same tests as administered.Most of their pupils have been discovered to be academically better off than their teachers comparatively.What a paradox?
The option left to the disappointed Governor is to ease them out of the system to prevent further damages to the education sector in the state. Also, the government is poised to replace them with qualified, competent and better tutors with the significant objective of taking the education to a better level.
The furore generated by this development was anticipated, but, quite unfortunate. Ordinarily, one is fatally disappointed at the NLC’S selfish approach to the whole saga.The NLC and NUT leaders unwittingly resorted to cheap and open blackmail, propaganda, campaigns of calumny and villification, threats and intimidation to armtwist or hoodwink the government into rescinding its decision on this matter.
They carried out these actions without putting forth suggested solutions at improving the quality and standard of education in Kaduna state and by extension the whole Nigeria.The trade union leaders acted as if nothing went wrong with the education system. Should it not have behoved on them that the teachers woeful performance in the academic exercise is an indictment on the union?
It depicts the body as an organisation of dead woods whose professional competences and abilities are in serious doubt.To them, their dullard-colleagues have no faults.The trade union leaders are more interested in the check-off dues being deducted from the monthly salaries of their incompetent collegues and paid to the coffers of the unions on regular basis.
It is conjecturing asserting that the trade union leaders have their wards in the public schools.One can reasonably infer that the trade union leaders have acted in bad faith.
It is indubitable that sending 21,000 able bodied personnel into joblessness can be counter productive in the sociological sense and context. But, relegating merit to the background to appease the gods of mediocrity is totally unacceptable. Reabsorbing the sacked teachers into the system is not a viable option.
In this circumstance, one can only appeal to Governor El-Rufai to commute their dismissal from service to retirement with benefits.This shall give them soft landing and set them from stigma.Hence, they won’t be parts of the social problems confronting us in Northern Nigeria. An idle hand is a devil’s workshop.
Better still, the government may revert to the re-grading system and offer the few better performers a second chance of re-writing another test. I am of the conviction that this diplomatic approach shall calm down the strained nerves.
At this juncture, it is meet and proper to observe that the incompetence of the teaching personnel is not limited to Kaduna state alone, the rot permeates the entire teaching- learning system in the Nigeria’s education landscape.By extension, there are dead wood in other professions, viz; engineering, law and medicines, just to mention a few.
Hence, the professional teachers across board in Nigeria should see the Kaduna episode as a challenge and brace up to improve themselves on their various areas of specialisation and general knowledge. Governments at all levels in Nigeria should be proactive in the training and retraining of the teaching personnel and other professionals to improve their lots in terms of ability, competence and efficiency.
The leaderships of the various trade unions in Nigeria should synergise with the governments on ways of improving the professional competence of their members.
By Akeem Adebiyi, Ibadan.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede (FEDPA), Oyo State, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, has been honoured with the Leadership Excellence and Education Icon Award in recognition of his contributions to the education sector and national development.
The award was presented by Bollyjoe Media Communications Ltd, a media and communications firm based in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Wednesday.
Presenting the award, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Joseph Uzuakpundu Bollyjoe, said Abdul-Hameed was recognised for his selfless service and transformative leadership within Nigeria’s polytechnic education system.
He noted that under the Rector’s stewardship, the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, had witnessed strategic reforms aimed at strengthening academic standards and promoting institutional stability.
According to him, the Rector’s policies have repositioned the institution for sustainable growth and aligned its technical education programmes with global best practices.
Since assuming office, the Rector has prioritised infrastructural development, administrative discipline and innovation-driven governance, earning commendations from stakeholders.
Reacting to the honour, Abdul-Hameed, described the award as a motivation to further deepen reforms and consolidate on existing achievements.
“This recognition is not just personal; it reflects the dedication of our management, staff and students who share the vision of building a globally competitive institution,” the Rector said.
He added that the polytechnic would remain committed to excellence, integrity and continuous development in line with national educational aspirations.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday described the Federal Polytechnic Ayede as the best-performing among federal polytechnics established in 2021, commending its infrastructural expansion and academic stability as the institution graduated 325 students at its maiden convocation ceremony.
Tinubu, who is the Visitor to the institution, was represented by the Director, Polytechnics and Allied Institutions, Dr. Usman Ejeh. He said the polytechnic’s achievements within five years were “remarkable and strategic,” adding that its growth aligns with the Federal Government’s reform agenda for technical and vocational education.
“The Federal Polytechnic Ayede has distinguished itself among its peers established in 2021. Its commitment to infrastructure, skills acquisition, and academic stability clearly positions it as a model institution,” he said.
The President noted that his administration had introduced key reforms, including the students’ loan scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, curriculum modernisation, infrastructural renewal, and digital skills expansion to reposition the education sector.
“We are determined to build institutions that will produce innovators, entrepreneurs, and solution providers for our economy,” he added, urging the management to consolidate on existing gains.
Earlier, the Rector, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, described the combined convocation for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions as a defining milestone in the institution’s history.
“We gather here today to officially present to the world the first set of graduates produced by the Federal Polytechnic Ayede. This indeed calls for celebration,” he said.
The rector expressed appreciation to Tinubu for policies aimed at strengthening technical education and acknowledged the support of regulatory and funding agencies, including the National Board for Technical Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, for accreditation and infrastructural interventions that accelerated the institution’s development.
He disclosed that 138 students graduated in the 2023/2024 session and 187 in the 2024/2025 session, bringing the total number of graduands to 325.
According to him, Miss Taiwo Ibukunoluwa Arinola of Science Laboratory Technology and Mr. Olapese Quadri Ayofe of Agricultural Technology emerged as the overall best graduating students for their respective sessions with a cumulative grade point average of 3.96.
Beyond the award of National Diploma certificates, Abdul-Hameed said each graduand obtained at least two additional vocational certifications through the Centre for Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development.
“Our graduates are not just job seekers but employers of labour. We have deliberately equipped them with relevant entrepreneurial and technical competencies,” he said, adding that 68 major projects had been executed across the temporary and permanent sites through TETFund interventions, Federal Government appropriations, and donor support.
The projects, he said, include a main administrative building, ICT centre, health centre, engineering workshops, and improved power infrastructure, while the institution also recorded over 64 research projects and nine TETFund-supported fabrication innovations. He also reaffirmed the polytechnic’s resolve to relocate fully to its permanent site in Ayede, Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area, and appealed for improved access roads and hostel accommodation.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Hon. Yakubu Dati, described the ceremony as a celebration of vision and collective commitment, urging government, corporate organisations, and well-meaning Nigerians to support the institution with critical infrastructure, particularly road networks and student hostels, through direct intervention or Public-Private Partnership arrangements. He commended the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, and the host community for sustaining a peaceful environment, and appreciated the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, who was also the guest lecturer, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, for supporting the construction of an access road to the institution.
Fellowship awards were conferred on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji; and Dr Abubakar Isa.
The event attracted traditional rulers, including the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye; the Timi of Ede, Oba Adesola Munirudeen Lawal; and the Aresa of Iresapupa, Oba Moses Olayiwola Ajiboye, as well as Senators Ayo Adeseun, Abdulfatai Buhari, prominent Ogbomoso leaders, rectors of sister polytechnics, scholars, and other dignitaries.
Education
Oyo: Speaker Abbas, NRS Chair, Adedeji to Attend Ayede Polytechnic’s Maiden Convocation as 325 Set to Graduate
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, and the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adelabu Adedeji, will on Thursday grace the maiden combined convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State, where no fewer than 325 students will be awarded National Diploma certificates.
The Pioneer Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, disclosed this on Monday during a pre-convocation press conference at the institution’s Permanent Site in Ayede, describing the event as “a defining milestone” in the history of the young federal institution.
“This is the first convocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, since its establishment on January 19, 2021, and it marks our transition from take-off to consolidation,” the Rector said.
Abdul-Hameed said the speaker would chair the convocation lecture, while the NRS boss, Adedeji would deliver the lecture titled, ‘The Role of Technology in Implementing Nigeria’s New Tax Laws: Challenges and Prospects’, noting that the calibre of invited dignitaries reflected the institution’s rising national profile.
“The presence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service underscores the growing relevance of the Polytechnic in national development discourse,” he said.
According to the Rector, the combined convocation covers the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions and will span six days, featuring a novelty football match, convocation lecture, award of National Diploma certificates, and the conferment of fellowship honours.
He disclosed that 138 students completed their programmes in the 2023/2024 academic session, while 187 students graduated in the 2024/2025 session, bringing the total number of graduands to 325.
On academic expansion, Abdul-Hameed said the Polytechnic commenced academic activities in 2023 with four National Diploma programmes but has grown to run 13 fully accredited ND programmes across five schools.
“We currently operate across the Schools of Engineering, Environmental Technology, Management Sciences, Science and Technology, and Agricultural Technology, all with full NBTE accreditation,” he stated.
The Rector attributed the institution’s rapid growth to sustained support from the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside interventions from the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education, and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
“These interventions have strengthened our capacity in programme accreditation, staff development, and infrastructure delivery,” he said.
Abdul-Hameed further revealed that the Polytechnic had executed 68 major infrastructural, ICT, and utility projects across its Permanent and Temporary campuses, adding that work was ongoing on the access road linking the Permanent Site from Idi-Araba.
“While we have made significant progress, we still require support in access roads, student hostels, power supply, water facilities, and digital infrastructure to sustain our growth,” the Rector appealed.
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