The Federal Government has announced that all Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTCs) will be converted into full Federal Technical Colleges (FTCs) starting from September. This change aims to strengthen technical education and provide Nigerian youth with better opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
According to Professor Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), this decision is part of a larger plan to reform the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. In an interview in Abuja, he stated that the shift is designed to promote skills training over science-based subjects, which have gradually dominated technical colleges in recent years.
Professor Bugaje explained that while current students will finish their programs, all new admissions going forward will focus solely on technical education. He described the reform as a smart and necessary move to correct past decisions that diluted the technical focus of these colleges.
He confirmed that President Bola Tinubu has approved the provision of new equipment, infrastructure, and learning facilities to support this transition. The goal is to make technical education more appealing and effective for young Nigerians.
Currently, Nigeria has only 129 technical colleges compared to more than 15,000 general secondary schools. This imbalance, Bugaje said, has forced polytechnics to admit students who lack a strong foundation in technical skills. He encouraged state governments to follow the federal example by converting some of their regular secondary schools into technical colleges.
Bugaje also pointed out a global trend, using China as an example, where over 600 universities were converted into polytechnics in 2017. He warned that turning polytechnics into universities, as done in Nigeria, harms the development of practical skills. Instead, he suggested transforming them into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) universities to stay aligned with their core purpose.
He revealed that the Minister of Education supports this new direction and believes it will help Nigeria match global standards. Bugaje emphasized that this policy will better equip young people for employment, innovation, and self-reliance in today’s economy.
