A former Rector of The Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara, Dr Lateef Olatunji has said the syllabus of Nigerian Higher Institutions requires immediate review to meet international standards.

Olatunji whose tenure as the Rector of The Federal Polytechnic Offa elapsed on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, asked the Nigerian government to review the current syllabus of Higher Institutions in the country.

Speaking in a current affairs programme on Okin FM Kwara State, the former rector said it is always easy for anyone who studied abroad to fit into the Nigerian system but worries that Nigerian graduates lag behind in many aspects.

He said, “The level of education generally is low, the syllabuses at all our tertiary institutions are due for serious review. The teaching in foreign tertiary institutions bends towards practical orientation, that is why when they come in from abroad they fit in easily.”

Speaking on the dichotomy between University and Polytechnic in Nigeria, Dr Olatunji discussed the need for the government to remove the paradox, saying it’s needless.

He argued that polytechnic and Universities serve different purposes. “Polytechnic is mainly for practical knowledge to solve scientific problems and Universities are based on theoretical aspects. So why the dichotomy. If you go back to the drawing and seek the reason why the institutions were established there will be no parity.

“The government needs to come in to firstly remove the dichotomy. Even if the government removed the dichotomy nobody will want to distinguish between the HND and the BSC holder. The government has the final say.”