In a significant move to bridge the digital divide across technical institutions, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is launching a decentralised AI and Machine Learning (ML) system tailored for polytechnics. The initiative is expected to uplift applied research, democratise access to modern technologies, and mitigate the challenges posed by intermittent internet access in many campuses.
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A National Conference to Drive the Change
From 25th to 27th November 2025, NBTE will host an international conference in Abuja to unveil this ambitious platform. According to the Board’s Head of Media and Publicity, Hajia Fatimah Abubakar, this system is part of a broader strategy to ensure that polytechnic students are not shut out of the Fourth Industrial Revolution simply because of poor internet or data costs.
NBTE’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, emphasised during the announcement that the initiative is about “democratising AI education” and ensuring students in technical institutions can genuinely engage with emerging technologies. Rather than relying on unreliable external connectivity, the solution will run on campus, giving students and lecturers seamless access to AI tools.
Open-Source Deployment: How It Works
One of the most compelling features of the plan is its commitment to open-source software. NBTE plans to distribute 46 custom-built AI and ML models developed in collaboration with lecturers from Ethiopia’s Kombolcha Polytechnic, Nigerian institutions, and MOC-LLC, a U.S.-based research organisation. These models will be packaged as Linux-based ISO files, making them installable on local servers without the need for continuous internet access.
The platform will run on Linux, using Apache2 to stream AI resources—such as simulators, research libraries, and teaching materials—across labs, classrooms, and research units via intranet.
Furthermore, NBTE is collaborating with MOC-LLC to build an intranet-based AI and ML Research Hub at its Abuja office. This hub will host the AI models, system updates, and other resources. Polytechnic lecturers and ICT departments will be able to download everything via open-source technologies like Linux, Apache2, and MySQL.
Importantly, NBTE will provide every participating polytechnic with ISO images for local installation—so every school, regardless of its internet capacity, can tap into the same high-quality AI infrastructure.
Why This Matters: Strengthening Technical Education and Innovation
Prof. Bugaje outlined that this initiative is not just about improving coursework, but is central to a national vision for industrial and technological development. By setting up decentralised AI laboratories, polytechnics will increasingly become engines for innovation in sectors such as agriculture, security, manufacturing, and industrial engineering.
He also urged polytechnic rectors to work closely with lecturers to install and operationalise these newly distributed tools so that they translate into better teaching, more applied research, and a technically skilled workforce.
Moreover, the platform is expected to foster interdisciplinary learning, equipping students not just with AI/ML skills, but also in applied statistics and advanced linear algebra—disciplines that are increasingly relevant for real-world problem solving.
A Step in a Larger Strategy
This intervention aligns with other recent initiatives from the NBTE. Earlier in 2025, the Board introduced new Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in AI, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, and Networking—part of a deliberate push to modernise technical education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Also, earlier this year, NBTE organised a Trainer-in-the-Loop AI workshop (in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning) in Kaduna, which helped polytechnic staff develop open educational resources (OERs) for science laboratory technology using AI.
The NBTE’s plan to roll out a decentralised AI platform for polytechnics is a forward-looking intervention. By leaning on open-source, intranet-based AI tools, the Board is tackling connectivity hurdles head-on, and empowering polytechnic students and lecturers to be at the forefront of applied innovation.
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