The House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnics and Other Higher Technical Education has expressed strong disappointment following the poor attendance of Rectors at the scheduled 2026 budget defence session.
The Committee Chairman, Hon. Fuad Kayode Laguda, officially adjourned the proceedings on Saturday after only four of the 14 invited Federal Polytechnics appeared before the panel. The institutions present were the Federal Polytechnics of Nasarawa, Idah, Bauchi, and Bali.
The Chairman described the high rate of absenteeism as “unacceptable,” noting that out of the 36 Federal Polytechnics nationwide, only 22 had submitted their mandatory budget reports by the Friday deadline.
While some absent Rectors cited the FCT Area Council elections and related vehicular movement restrictions as reasons for their absence, Hon. Laguda dismissed these excuses as inadequate.
“These are national assignments, and attendance should not be treated lightly,” Laguda stated. “Institutions of this magnitude ought to plan better. Budget defence is a critical component of the National Assembly’s constitutional responsibility to ensure transparency, accountability, and the effective utilization of public funds.”
Despite the setback, the Committee received and adopted a guiding report from the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje.
Hon. Laguda emphasized that the Committee’s oversight is not a “witch-hunt” but a collaborative effort to restore the “glory days” of technical education, which he identified as the engine for Nigeria’s industrialization and job creation.
A new date for the reconvened budget defence session will be communicated to the affected institutions in due course. The Committee expects full compliance and the physical presence of all invited leadership at the next hearing.
