The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has strongly criticized the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) over its decision to outsource its accreditation and quality assurance responsibilities. ASUP described the move as a bid to commercialize the regulation of polytechnics in Nigeria, warning that it would compromise education standards.
In a statement released on Friday, ASUP President Shammah Kpanja rejected the policy, arguing that it undermines the credibility and integrity of the accreditation process for technical and vocational institutions. The policy, reportedly approved by the Minister of Education, seeks to transfer NBTE’s regulatory functions to private vendors due to a shortage of personnel. The board currently oversees 789 institutions across the country.
However, ASUP insists that outsourcing this critical function to private firms would create conflicts of interest, lower standards, and jeopardize the confidentiality of institutional data. Kpanja stressed that accreditation is central to NBTE’s mandate and warned that privatizing it raises concerns about the board’s continued relevance as a public institution.
The union vowed to resist the move, arguing that handing over accreditation to profit-driven consultants would weaken regulatory oversight and increase financial burdens on institutions already struggling with inadequate funding.
ASUP reiterated its call for the unbundling of NBTE and the establishment of a dedicated National Commission for Polytechnics, similar to those regulating universities and colleges of education. Kpanja recalled that at an NBTE stakeholders’ meeting on March 4, 2025, participants had rejected the outsourcing plan and instead proposed digitizing the quality assurance process.
The union demanded an immediate reversal of the outsourcing policy, the acceleration of digital quality assurance systems with enforceable deadlines, and better funding support to facilitate the transition.
