Mai Idris Polytechnic: Ten Years On

MAI IDRIS ALOOMA POLYTECHNIC TEN YEARS ON BY BASHIR MAIDUGU Bashir Maidugu and Co., The story of Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic Geidam exactly ten years since its founding this month encapsulates all the major issues and concerns of not only polytechnic education but the tertiary education system in the country. Established 2002, Yobe State Polytechnic, later renamed Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic, after the most powerful and famous of the former Sayfawa Dynasty rulers of ancient Kanem Bornu Empire, Mai Idris Alooma (1571 – 1603), who expanded the frontiers of Kanem Bornu, one of Africa’s foremost of civilized communities to its zenith. One of the problems of the Federal Government in tackling the multifaceted problems in education, despite fantastic initiatives (such as those by the TETF) and increased funding over the years is lack of coordination. No single body, inspite of today’s technological advancement and cacophony of federal educational parastatals, has reliable and routinely updated data of all the programs, personnel, equipment, infrastructure, students per course, etc of all the tertiary institutions in the country in one place for government to use to plan, where owner governments or donor agencies can intervene to remedy a situation in a well coordinated manner. There is simply no authority with a Dashboard coordinating these tertiary institutions. This has denied the nation of a reliable statistical data of, for example, of programs (total and types of degree, diploma and other certificate programs offered), student’s enrolments (per program and total), etc for the purpose of regulating the release into the market of products of various programs. This handicap also translates into the inability of the nation to initiate specific programs that are lacking in the Nigerian tertiary institutions.The proper handling of this coordination would eliminate wastes and duplication as well as stimulate introduction of new courses or programs. This lack of coordination is so bad that today, there are wide gaps in many indices within and between the different types of tertiary institutions. Within germaine institutions, for example polytechnics, there is wide spread movement of academic staff from one institution to the other mainly due to differences in the conditions of service. Consequent upon the constitutional provision of education being on the concurrent list, states are free to establish universities, polytechnics and other colleges "as they wish"! This, despite its obvious advantages, needs some review. There are states that simply pass a law for the conversion of primary schools to universities in this country mainly for political gains. The second major problem is the alarmingly high preference of university education by all students and parents. There are more students in Nigerian Universities than Polytechnics even though at this stage of our development we need more high quality polytechnic diploma holders than university graduates. The employers, disconnected for lack of prioritization of their actual needs, those applicants could blend effortlessly in their production lines, but instead give preference to university graduates than HND holders, who actually have bias in practical skills and experience and thus could be more useful to them. Although there are differences of details, the law envisages polytechnics primarily to produce intermediate and higher level technical manpower. This was aimed at equipping the industrial base of the nation with skilled and competent manpower to achieve rapid industrialisation and economic development.In the long run, all polytechnics may have to be converted into universities. However, it is not advisable to rush this conversion as our universities are far from being world class. As in all major projects, the establishment of a new tertiary institution involves a feasibility study including prospects for sustained funding followed by the constitution of a planning committee of experienced people in the sector, especially representatives from the relevant regulatory agencies such as the NUC for Universities, NBTE for polytechnics and NCCE for colleges of education etc. Other important people who must be in such committees include foremost educationists, preferably former vice chancellors, architects, quantity surveyors, solicitors, chartered accountants and other professionals for the drawing up of a master plan and academic brief for the institutions. Governments, state or federal must consider not just the major needs such as those based on the number of students leaving high schools with its attendant problem of lack of enough places in the schools in the area to take them but consider all the parameters of sustained funding before venturing into establishing a tertiary institution. This should be a strict criterion. As an independent observer, when Mai Idris Alooma was established, we witnessed a silent but bitter initial politics of location which culminated in the reluctant attitude of some of the officials saddled with the responsibility of overseeing its proper planning and foundation. However, ten years on this month, commitment, devotion and sustained hard work over the years from the Rector to the staff and students has paid off and the polytechnic is on the road to becoming one of the best small polytechnics in the country. Data obtained from the school indicates that nearly half of their academic staff is trained in some of the world’s best universities from Malaysia to Universities in the UK among others. Furthermore, most of their academic staff have travelled to many parts of the world for conferences and are still attending. A mini Nigeria located in the extreme northern tip of the country; surprisingly, their academic staff are from all over Nigeria, heading various units akin to a federal institution. If not for the current insecurity occasioned by the insurgency, one believes that their tenth anniversary and modest achievements calls for celebration. However, to Allah is the Glory. The Governor of Yobe State, His Excellency Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam has truly invested heavily in this small polytechnic, just as in other institutions in the state. He ensured that the school is provided with the necessary infrastructure and maintained together with other academic and non academic facilities. This enabled it to be accredited by the NBTE on an interim basis in so short a time. Congratulations, Maipoly!!!