Bennett Oghifo
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Iwemi, a Nigerian digital analysis and publishing firm, are exploring a partnership to remodel analysis in polytechnics and technical faculties into marketable improvements, employable expertise and new sources of earnings.
The proposed collaboration, mentioned throughout a go to by Iwemi’s delegation to the NBTE headquarters in Abuja, seeks to bridge the hole between tutorial analysis and sensible functions by offering digital infrastructure for preserving, publishing and commercialising analysis outputs from Nigeria’s technical establishments.
The initiative comes amid rising requires technical and vocational training establishments to strengthen trade linkages, enhance expertise improvement and produce improvements able to creating jobs and producing wealth.
Leading the delegation, Iwemi’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ejimofor Akah, introduced the Iwemi Academic Publishing and Research Platform as a digital ecosystem designed to protect college students’ tasks, theses and institutional analysis whereas increasing entry to tutorial sources and creating alternatives for lecturers to earn royalties from printed studying supplies.
Akah disclosed that the platform was already operational in 5 tertiary establishments, together with Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, and hosted greater than 500,000 titles.
He mentioned the platform may present polytechnics with institution-branded digital repositories for National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) tasks, guaranteeing that analysis work was preserved, accessible and out there for future tutorial and industrial functions.
Under the proposed association, lecturers would additionally have the ability to publish digital textbooks for technical and vocational training and coaching (TVET), with digital rights administration safety and royalties paid inside 48 hours.
The platform can be designed to enhance the worldwide visibility of institutional analysis by means of indexing that makes tutorial outputs searchable internationally, probably strengthening the net presence and analysis profiles of collaborating establishments.
In addition, its distance-learning element, out there by means of Iwemi School, would allow establishments to ship quick programs and different studying content material to college students and professionals past their bodily campuses.
Akah mentioned Iwemi would offer coaching for librarians and data and communications expertise officers, whereas bearing the price of deploying the platform, thereby decreasing the monetary burden on collaborating establishments.
A serious element of the initiative is the Iwemi National Academic Research Impact Challenge (INARIC) 2026, which affords a prize pool of N25 million for polytechnic college students and employees. The grand award ceremony is scheduled for December 11, 2026, in Abuja.
Speaking through the assembly, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, welcomed the delegation however emphasised that the Board’s precedence was to transfer past analysis publication to sensible innovation.
He mentioned analysis throughout the technical and vocational training sector ought to produce tangible outcomes, together with marketable merchandise, viable enterprises and employable expertise.
According to him, the central goal of technical training is expertise improvement, making it essential for analysis initiatives to contribute straight to industrial progress and financial productiveness.
Bugaje indicated that digital platforms able to connecting analysis outputs with sensible coaching and trade wants would advantage severe consideration.
His place highlights a vital problem dealing with Nigeria’s technical training system: guaranteeing that analysis carried out inside establishments interprets into options for industrial issues, enterprise alternatives and improved workforce capability.
The Rector of Auchi Polytechnic and Chairman of the Committee of Federal Rectors of Polytechnics (COFER), Dr. Salisu Umar, who spoke on behalf of the polytechnics, counseled Iwemi for creating a home-grown platform that would assist establishments protect and publish their analysis.
He additionally highlighted its potential to enhance institutional visibility and create further earnings alternatives for tutorial employees.
Other contributors included the National Coordinator of the Committee of States Commissioners of Education in Nigeria (COSCEN), Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Leo; NBTE Deputy Director, Dr. Rabiat Bello; Regional Head of Wema ALAT, Mr. Adesanya Ogunyemi; and Ikay Aiyegbusi of Interswitch, Iwemi’s cost and banking companions.
At the top of the assembly, each events agreed to proceed discussions in direction of a proper partnership, starting with a pilot programme involving establishments to be nominated by NBTE.
Akah thanked Bugaje and his crew for the reception, reaffirming Iwemi’s dedication to serving to Nigerian establishments convert data into employment alternatives, innovation and nationwide wealth.
Iwemi operates a digital publishing, analysis indexing and distance-learning ecosystem, with cost providers supported by Interswitch and Wema Bank’s ALAT.
