Coronavirus: NBTE directs polytechnics to shut down | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
21st March 2020
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has directed private and public polytechnics as well as technical institutes to shut down to avert the spread of the novel Coronavirus also known as COVID-19.
NBTE regulates polytechnics, monotechnics and various technical institutes across Nigeria.
It joins its university counterpart, the National Universities Commission (NUC) in issuing a similar directive.
In a circular dated 20th March and signed by the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Mas’ud Kazaure, the closure is intended to contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
Dr Kazaure recalled that the Federal Government had earlier directed schools to close for a period of one month with effect from Monday, March 23.
The NBTE asked rectors and heads of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutes to comply immediately with the government directive.
Most polytechnics in the country are in the middle of semester exams, which would be concluded next week.
Coronavirus has ravaged not less than 120 countries worldwide and has forced various governments to introduce drastic measures to curtail its spread.
In Nigeria, governments have limited physical contacts among people by banning various gatherings and limiting the number of participants in such.
22 cases of the virus have been reported in the country so far.