The Polytechnic, Iresi has once again set the pace in Nigeria’s technical education sub-sector, emerging as the first institution in its category to successfully scale the National Board for Technical Education’s (NBTE) newly introduced virtual accreditation process, and securing approval for four academic programmes in the exercise.
A letter from the NBTE, dated 3rd August 2026 and signed by Mr. Ayo Aroge for the Executive Secretary, granted the institution approval to commence HND Business Administration and Management, HND Strategic Communication and Media Studies, HND Journalism and Media Studies, and ND Public Administration. The approval followed a Digital Quality Assurance Resources Inspection verification exercise conducted at the institution between 7th and 9th July 2026.
“Everything We Claimed to Have Had to Be Captured” — Rector
Speaking shortly after the institution received the approval, the Rector, Dr. Adewoyin Azeez Olakunle, said the accreditation exercise began in February when the institution formally applied to the NBTE. He explained that the Governing Council deliberately chose the virtual accreditation option, describing it as the new direction for accreditation exercises going forward.
“Everything we claimed to have had to be captured. Every piece of equipment, from computers and printers to office materials, was documented individually before submission. It was a very demanding exercise,” the Rector said.
He disclosed that the NBTE approved the institution’s submissions without requesting a single correction, describing the outcome as a testament to the commitment and competence of the institution’s workforce.
Dr. Adewoyin described the achievement as a collective success, commending the Governing Council, the Board of Trustees, management, staff and the host community for their support throughout the process. He revealed that all programmes currently run by the institution are now accredited by the NBTE.
He assured students and prospective applicants that the successful accreditation guarantees both the quality of education offered at the Polytechnic and the value of their certificates, and reaffirmed that The Polytechnic, Iresi has distinguished itself as the first institution in its area to successfully complete the NBTE’s virtual accreditation process, an exercise that some neighbouring institutions, including certain federal polytechnics, are yet to undertake.
Public Relations and Protocol Officer: Milestone Will Further Boost Institution’s Image
Also speaking on the development, the institution’s Public Relations and Protocol Officer, Mr. Abdulsamad Shuaaib, said the achievement would further project the Polytechnic in the eyes of its peers, noting that not every institution can scale accreditation for four different departments simultaneously.
He said the feat reflects the diligence of the personnel working alongside the school’s management and Governing Council, and pledged to continue projecting the image of The Polytechnic, Iresi among its peers. “This is not the last milestone that the institution is going to overcome. Subsequently, and after this time, there will be more milestones to overcome,” he said, congratulating the management and staff of the institution on the achievement.
Behind the Screens: MIS Director Speaks on the Grind
For Mr. Abdulrasheed Adetoro, the Director of Management Information Systems (MIS) at the institution and the officer directly in charge of uploading documents to the NBTE portal, the exercise was a steep but worthwhile learning curve, being the first time the institution, and indeed Mr. Adetoro himself was navigating the virtual accreditation platform.
He described NBTE’s introduction of virtual accreditation as a welcome development that will help government keep proper digital records of schools across the country. However, he admitted the process was challenging at first, since staff had no clear knowledge of what the platform required until they were deep into it.
“It’s just like a learning during the process of the upload,” he explained, noting that the department first uploaded staff lists, qualifications, and details of physical facilities such as classrooms and offices, complete with descriptions and pictures, before later stages revealed further requirements.
He also used the opportunity to appeal to the NBTE to simplify the volume of documentation required for future exercises, suggesting that items could be grouped or submitted as lists with grouped photographs rather than requiring a picture for every single item. “Those are the major challenges, and at the same time, also, those will be my own recommendation to NBTE if NBTE will be listening to this,” he said, while congratulating the institution on the accreditation of the four departments.
A Pattern of Consistent Growth
The latest accreditation extends a consistent run of regulatory approvals for the community-owned institution. In 2022, the NBTE identified The Polytechnic, Iresi as the second community-owned polytechnic in Nigeria, but ranked it first and best among community-owned polytechnics in terms of human resources and infrastructural resources, a distinction the institution has continued to build on.
In 2025, the institution had similarly received full NBTE accreditation covering its National Diploma programmes in Accountancy, Business Administration and Mass Communication, as well as Higher National Diploma programmes in Accountancy and Software and Web Development, with resource inspection completed for Networking and Cloud Computing at the time.
With the addition of the four newly accredited programmes, The Polytechnic, Iresi has now secured NBTE accreditation across all its entire academic portfolio within the space of little more than a year, reinforcing its standing as a fast-rising, community-owned polytechnic with an expanding footprint in Nigeria’s technical and vocational education landscape.
This is a good one.
I’m proud to be an alumnus of this great Alma mata.
TPI to the world!