At the heart of Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, lies the Federal Polytechnic Offa—an educational institution celebrated for nurturing hands-on, technical expertise. Yet today, that promise appears to be slipping through the cracks. Engineering students are sounding the alarm: practical sessions—once the lifeblood of their training—are vanishing, replaced by theoretical instruction devoid of real-world experience.
This isn’t an isolated cry. Across Nigeria, polytechnics and universities face a common challenge: outdated, neglected labs and equipment that undermine the very essence of technical education. But for Offa students, the lack of practical sessions isn’t a distant rumble—it’s a daily hurdle threatening the quality of their education and their future prospects.
Table of Contents
Engineering Lab Facilities in Lockdown: What Students Are Facing
Inside the Polytechnic’s lab spaces, what students find is dispiriting:
- Silent Machines, gathering dust and cobwebs, once central to training.
- Broken Tools, beyond repair—waiting indefinitely for maintenance or replacement.
- Outdated Apparatus, relics from previous decades that no longer meet current engineering standards.
In Electrical and Electronics workshops, the empty benches and inactive machines offer stark proof. What should be a centre of innovation has become a time capsule.
One student expressed how technology is reduced to theory: “We end up watching videos on our phones or using our imaginations. We know what a circuit is, but many of us have never wired one physically.” The lack of hands-on experience is leaving students with knowledge, but no practical competence.
A Community in Decline
This decay isn’t limited to labs—it permeates the entire campus:
- Medical Centre Crisis: Students report the absence of life-saving drugs and basic care. They pay medical fees but must rely on outside hospitals for treatment. One student shared, “They often tell us there are no drugs. Even paracetamol… We’re asked to buy outside.”
- Campus Infrastructure: Overgrown shrubs, pests, and peeling walls mark the deterioration. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) at Offa describes the institution as resembling a “Guinea Savanna.”
ASUP’s Chairman, Idowu Atilola, warns that continued neglect could render the campus “unfit for habitation and academic exercises.” Indeed, when essential amenities—labs, clinics, classrooms—fail, the entire learning ecosystem falters.
Voices from the Frontline
Students
- An ND II Electrical/Electronics student:
“We’ve raised our concerns to the Student Union Government… We’re tired, but we can’t afford to give up.”
They recount practicals reduced to illustrations, with no equipment for hands-on learning. - A Mechanical Engineering student:
“We come here wanting to build and design, but we only read about it. It’s hard to picture yourself as an engineer when you haven’t worked with real tools.”
Staff
- A security officer, who has observed the decline over years:
“This place used to be full of life… now, all of that has disappeared. These students deserve better.” He laments that graduates leave with certificates but lack the confidence and skills they should’ve gained. - A senior technician points out the ripple effect: lecturers lose passion, students lose readiness, and the institution’s reputation suffers.
Why Practical Learning Matters
Polytechnics are founded on experiential education. Here’s why it matters:
- Industry Readiness: Employers expect graduates who can design, build, test, and troubleshoot. Without hands-on training, the workforce struggles to meet technical demands.
- Conceptual Depth: Practical sessions bridge theory and application, offering a deeper understanding.
- Safety and Critical Thinking: Real-world labs teach risk management, essential in engineering.
A 2023 PUNCH report found that students in universities often improvise due to outdated tools—using smartphone stopwatches, for example. That’s Nigeria’s talent pool adapting, not failing. But why should students adapt when institutions should support?
Broader Context: A National Education Challenge
Offa is one front in a larger national struggle:
- University labs across Nigeria suffer from similar neglect, with broken equipment in the Physics and Engineering departments.
- LAUTECH students protested over missing farm and medical facilities, despite paying up to ₦60,000 per semester.
- The Cable Foundation documented squalid hostels, unhygienic toilets, and poor infrastructure across multiple institutions.
Nigeria’s polytechnic and university systems all too often present theory as education, with labs treated as optional add-ons. But in engineering, labs aren’t optional—they’re indispensable.
What Students Are Doing About It
Despite frustration, Offa students are proactive:
- Submitting petitions and grievances to their Student Union Government.
- Raising concerns to ASUP.
- Electing to protest, writing letters, and calling out neglect.
Offa’s ASUP has threatened to deem the campus “unfit for habitation” unless urgent repairs and funding materialise.
In June 2024, lawmakers from the House of Representatives visited Offa, acknowledging its struggles and promising budgetary intervention, especially for infrastructure and power sustainability. So far, though, meaningful change remains slow.
What Can Be Done: A Roadmap to Renewal
- Immediate Equipment Audit & Budget: Install a task force to inventory usable assets. A ₦50 million emergency fund could replace broken machines and restock lab inventory.
- Strategic Upgrades: Invest in modern, portable lab kits—ideal for institutions with constrained resources (similar to “Lab Hackathons” in Africa). These are cost-effective and stimulate creativity.
- Maintenance Culture: Allocate regular maintenance budgets. Train technicians to follow inspection schedules and decommission irreparable items while replenishing operational ones.
- Accountability & Transparency: Use student associations and ASUP to monitor expenditures. Publicly report facility improvements and remaining gaps.
- Government & Legislative Support: The House Committee’s visit was encouraging; now the federal and state governments must prioritise Offa in the 2025/2026 budget, especially for lab and clinic improvement.
- Industry Partnerships: Encourage collaborative funding with private firms. Companies could sponsor lab refurbishments in exchange for internship pipelines.
A Vision for the Future
Imagine Offa Polytechnic reborn:
- Labs buzzing with activity as students build projects, troubleshoot circuits, and gain technical fluency.
- A fully functional medical centre offering free basic care and drugs—saving students time, money, and risk.
- Technicians and lecturers reinvigorated by resources, delivering hands-on classes once more.
A final-year Civil Engineering student put it simply:
“We have the passion. We have the lecturers. What we need are the facilities. Once that happens, we can become the engineers we came here to be.”
This vision is achievable—not in decades, but within months. It requires leadership, funding, and collective will. The current cohort’s education is at stake. And beyond them, the Polytechnic’s reputation, graduate trustworthiness, and contribution to Nigeria’s technical development hang in the balance.
Conclusion
Offa Polytechnic missing practical sessions isn’t just a hashtag—it’s a clarion call. Engineering without equipment undermines education quality, depresses student morale, and weakens Nigeria’s human capital. The Polytechnic must act swiftly. Invest today. Rebuild tomorrow. Engineer the future, starting with the labs they already have.
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