by Alabi Abdul
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has deepened its collaboration with US based applied research and training organisation, MOC-LLC to shift Nigerian polytechnic system towards innovation and global competitiveness.
According to the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje who championed the initiative, at the heart of the partnership is a bold effort to integrate Applied Interdisciplinary (AI) Engineering and Technology Research into the polytechnic curriculum, equipping lecturers and institutions with skills needed for the age of Artificial Intelligence and open source LINUX platforms.
“Over the past year, polytechnic lecturers nationwide have undergone a series of intensive training sessions – two virtual and two in-person – covering machine learning, sensor systems, symbolic computation on open-source LINUX, research documentation with LaTeX, and modular approaches to science, technology, engineering, and agro-engineering research. The programme was designed to reposition polytechnics as engines of applied research, innovation, and job creation.”
Prof. Bugaje, stated further that the initiative “will culminate in the First NBTE International Seminar and Conference on Applied Interdisciplinary Engineering and Technology, scheduled for November 25–27, 2025, at the UBEC Digital Centre, Kado, Abuja. More than 46 research groups are expected to present findings, offering a first-of-its-kind showcase of how polytechnics can drive Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.”
A high-level NBTE delegation led by Mr. Wisdom Clinton, Rector of Bayelsa State Polytechnic, recently visited MOC-LLC in Atlanta to consolidate the collaboration and strengthen institutional ties.
The team expressed gratitude for the technical support and hands-on mentorship provided by MOC-LLC, which has been pivotal in advancing the programme, while lauding NBTE’s Head of Linkages and Research, Dr. Zakari Abdullahi, describing his coordination with MOC-LLC as instrumental to the project’s success.
Dr. Abdullahi hailed the training as a “game changer for Nigeria’s polytechnic system. The skills acquired would ripple into research, industry, and job creation.”
Commending the Atlanta, US-based team, Professor Bugaje described their contribution as an example of “servant scholarship and strategic transformation. The initiative represents a turning point in technical education. This partnership is about more than training; it is about creating a culture of applied interdisciplinary research that will renew our institutions and position polytechnics as key drivers of national development.”
The NBTE-MOC initiative underscores a growing recognition that polytechnics must adapt to emerging technologies, not just as centres of learning but as catalysts of research and innovation capable of competing on the global stage.