NBTE Accreditation: Fed Poly Ukana Pioneers National Diploma in Artificial Intelligence
Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, Akwa Ibom State, has become the first institution in Nigeria to receive approval from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to offer a National Diploma programme in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Rector of the Polytechnic, Mrs. Eduma Enobong Essien, disclosed this while featuring on the “Close-Up” programme of Redemption 101.5 FM, explaining that the approval followed the recent visit and assessment of the Polytechnic by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
She also outlined the institution’s academic programmes, skills development initiatives and vision for producing globally competitive graduates.
According to the Rector, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a programme at FEDPUKA is a deliberate response to the rapidly changing global technological landscape and the need to equip Nigerian youths with relevant skills for the future.
She explained that the programme is designed to produce graduates who can compete and create value not only within Nigeria but anywhere in the world.
In her words, “The introduction of Artificial Intelligence as a programme at FEDPUKA is aimed at producing globally competitive graduates equipped with skills to work and create value anywhere in the world, within or beyond Nigeria”.
The Rector further declared that graduates of the institution should be able to compete favourably in the global economy rather than be compelled to seek opportunities abroad, stating emphatically, “At FEDPUKA, there is no japa syndrome for our graduates.”
Beyond its pioneering position in Artificial Intelligence education, Mrs. Essien highlighted the breadth of academic and practical opportunities available at the Polytechnic.
She disclosed that the institution currently offers 44 academic programmes and 14 vocational skills, describing the combination as a deliberate effort to produce graduates who are academically equipped, practically competent and ready to innovate.
“With 44 academic programmes and 14 vocational skills, we are deliberately grooming our students to be academically equipped, vocationally competent and innovation ready, so that they can graduate with the skills to create value and contribute meaningfully to society,” she said.
She stressed that the institution’s educational philosophy goes beyond the acquisition of certificates, arguing that the ultimate measure of education is the transformation it brings to an individual and the value such an individual contributes to society.
“The true value of education is not in the certificate a person receives at the end of a programme, but in the knowledge, skills, values and character that education has imparted into that individual,” the Rector stated.
Essien said the vision of FEDPUKA is centred on producing what she described as the “total man”, a graduate who combines academic knowledge with practical competence, confidence and the capacity to become self-reliant.
“Our vision is to raise the total man: a graduate who is not only educated, but equipped with the skills, competence and confidence to become self-reliant, create opportunities and contribute meaningfully to society,” she said
Speaking on access to education, the Rector commended the Federal Government for keeping tuition fees affordable and for introducing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
She described the scheme as a significant relief to students facing financial difficulties, saying it would enable more deserving Nigerian youths to pursue higher education without financial constraints standing between them and their dreams.
