THE Federal Government, on Tuesday, said that N30 billion has been approved for the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in the country.

The approval came on the heels of a series of agitations for better welfare for members by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu disclosed this at a round table organized by ASUP in Abuja with the theme “Repositioning Nigeria’s Polytechnics for National Relevance and Global Competitiveness.”

The Minister, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, National Board of Tertiary Education, Mr. Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary, National Board of Tertiary Education, said the money is intended to alleviate the challenges facing Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in the country.

According to him, “I am glad to report that as part of the realization of the pivotal role of polytechnics to the advancement of Nigeria, Mr President has approved the sum of 30billion naira to ameliorate the challenges facing polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria.

The Ministry is working hard to ensure the release of this amount to the respective institutions.”

In his welcome address, the President of ASUP, Comrade Anderson Ezeibe, advised the federal government to discontinue the indiscriminate proliferation of polytechnic institutions and focus on funding and developing the existing ones.