The Evolving Ecology of Tertiary Education and Future of Polytechnics in Nigeria

Abstract

This advocacy paper examines the future of polytechnics within the evolving ecology of tertiary education in Nigeria. Despite the rapid increase in the number of candidates seeking tertiary education, enrollment into polytechnics has continued to decline in recent years. This decline is largely driven by a constellation of factors, particularly the institutionalized dichotomy in Nigeria’s public service between holders of university degrees and polytechnic qualifications. This trend raises serious concerns about the sustainability of polytechnic education in the country, as many prospective students prefer to forgo admission rather than enroll in polytechnics. The study relied on data obtained from secondary sources, complemented by the researchers’ observations, and analyses these using trend analysis. The findings reveal that several factors pose existential threats to polytechnics in Nigeria, including prevailing notions regarding the categorisation of tertiary institutions, negative societal perceptions of polytechnics, the Bachelor’s Degree–Higher National Diploma (BSc–HND) dichotomy, the proliferation of universities, and the migration of academic staff from polytechnics to universities. Collectively, these factors significantly shape the perceptions and choices of parents, students, and academic staff within Nigeria’s higher education system. The paper recommends, amongst other things, policy reforms and actionable innovations that will strengthen the polytechnic sector and make it attractive to admission seekers, including the abolition of the BSc–HND dichotomy and the elevation of qualified polytechnics to polytechnic-university status.