Academics, administrators and industry stakeholders have raised fresh concerns over discriminatory admission cut off marks and systemic neglect that they say are driving talented students away from Nigeria's polytechnic sector and undermining the country's industrial development goals.

The concerns were aired at the maiden International Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti Chapter, held virtually, bringing together union leaders, alumni and sector stakeholders.

A communiqué issued at the close of the conference and signed by the Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee, Dr Peter Ajewole, and Secretary Dr Ige Ayeni, noted that for the 2026 admissions cycle, JAMB set the minimum baseline for university admissions at 150, while polytechnics and colleges of education were pegged at 100.

Participants warned that the disparity continues to fuel a talent drain from institutions best suited to meet Nigeria's technical and industrial manpower needs. "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," the communiqué stated.

Stakeholders further noted that despite Nigeria's low tertiary education gross enrolment ratio of 13.5%, enrolment in polytechnics had dropped to below 5% of youths seeking admission into tertiary institutions. The conference warned that such a trend poses a direct threat to national development, particularly as the country seeks to expand its industrial base and strengthen technical skills acquisition.

The conference also raised concerns over the newly established National Research and Innovation Development Fund, approved by the Federal Executive Council on 9th May 2026. Participants described the fund, which could provide up to $500m in annual funding, as the most significant intervention in Nigeria's research and development ecosystem since independence. Still, they warned that its current governance structure made no mention of polytechnics.

"The NRIDF governance structure presently does not mention polytechnics, but it does mention the Committee of Vice Chancellors. This exclusion of polytechnics in major national frameworks is a structural risk which must be corrected through legislation before the enabling Act is finalised," the communiqué stated.

The conference called for uniform merit based admission policies across all tertiary institutions, explicit inclusion of polytechnics in the NRIDF, increased investment in line with UNESCO's recommended education funding benchmark of between 15% and 20% of national budgets, and sustained development of laboratories, digital infrastructure and staff training programmes.