Discriminatory cut-off marks hurting Nigerian polytechnics, stakeholders warn

Nigerian polytechnic stakeholders are sounding the alarm over what they call discriminatory admission policies and systemic neglect. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has set university admission cut-off marks at 150 for 2026, while polytechnics and colleges of education are pegged at 100. This disparity, stakeholders argue, discourages students, deprives the country of essential technical expertise, and hampers industrial development.

“

The disparities in admission cut-off mark for universities and polytechnics based on discrimination continue to contribute to talent drain from the institutions which are most suited to serve the needs of Nigeria’s industrial development.

These concerns were voiced at the first International Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti Chapter. Participants, including academics, administrators, union leaders, and industry figures, issued a communiqué highlighting the "talent drain" from institutions designed to meet Nigeria's technical needs. They lamented that negative perceptions and discriminatory practices against polytechnic education have led to declining enrollment.

The communiqué stated, "The disparities in admission cut-off mark for universities and polytechnics based on discrimination continue to contribute to talent drain from the institutions which are most suited to serve the needs of Nigeria’s industrial development." Participants also noted that the perception of polytechnic education as inferior to university education remains a significant barrier to attracting talented students, despite the curriculum's rigor and applicability.

“

The perception of polytechnic education as an institution of lesser quality than the university remains a barrier to high-performing students and represents a systemic disadvantage, even in the face of the equivalent, if not superior, rigour and applicability of the polytechnic curriculum.

To address these issues, the conference called for a uniform, merit-based admission policy across all tertiary institutions. Stakeholders emphasized that technical and vocational education is crucial for national development and should not be treated as a second-choice option. They pointed out that despite Nigeria's low tertiary education enrollment ratio, polytechnic enrollment has fallen below five percent of youths seeking higher education.

“

adopt consistent merit-based admission cut-off requirements between all tertiary institutions, while removing the unfair disadvantage that polytechnics face in the process.