The House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education has adjourned its 2026 budget defence session following the absence of a majority of rectors invited to appear before it.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Fuad Kayode Laguda, expressed strong displeasure over what he described as poor institutional compliance, noting that 10 out of the 14 Federal Polytechnics scheduled for the exercise failed to attend.
Laguda disclosed that of the 36 federal polytechnics nationwide, only 22 had submitted their budget reports as of the time of the session, a development he said was worrisome and reflective of weak adherence to legislative oversight requirements.
Among the 14 institutions that submitted reports and were invited, only four were represented.
Present at the session were the rectors of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa and Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State, as well as the bursars of Federal Polytechnic Bauchi and Federal Polytechnic Bali, Taraba State.
The Committee Chairman said some of the absent rectors attributed their non-attendance to the forthcoming FCT election and restrictions on vehicular movement between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., but insisted that such excuses were inadequate.
“These are national assignments that require proper planning. Attendance should not be treated lightly,” Laguda said, stressing that budget defence is central to the National Assembly’s constitutional mandate of ensuring transparency and accountability in public spending.
The lawmaker in a statement in Abuja on Saturday announced the adjournment of the exercise, citing logistical and administrative lapses, and adding that even the four institutions present would have their appearances rescheduled to allow for a more comprehensive engagement.
Despite the setback, the Committee received and adopted the report of the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje, as a working document for further deliberations.
Laguda maintained that the Committee’s actions were not intended as a witch-hunt but as part of efforts to strengthen governance and institutional performance within the polytechnic system.
He urged rectors to demonstrate greater commitment and reposition their institutions to meet national development goals, particularly in driving technical innovation, vocational excellence, and manpower development.
The chairman emphasised that Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic diversification agenda would remain elusive without a vibrant and well-managed technical education sector, adding that a new date for the adjourned session would be communicated in due course.
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