NBTE Unveils Decentralised AI System to Transform Nigerian Polytechnics Nationwide
Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is preparing to introduce a decentralised Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning system designed to overhaul digital learning across Nigerian polytechnics.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, NBTE spokesperson Fatimah Abubakar confirmed that the innovation will be unveiled during an international conference holding from 25–27 November. The Executive Secretary, Idris Bugaje, said the initiative aims to eliminate barriers created by unstable internet access and high data costs.
“Students must not be denied access to emerging technologies simply because bandwidth is expensive or unreliable,” Bugaje said.
He announced that the board will present 46 custom-built AI and Machine Learning models, developed through a collaboration involving lecturers from Ethiopian and Nigerian polytechnics alongside US-based MOC-LLC. Institutions will receive the models as Linux-based ISO files for teaching, applied research and real-time simulations.
Bugaje explained that the system will operate entirely offline: “Using Linux and Apache2, institutions can stream learning materials, simulators and research tools across laboratories without depending on external internet.”
He said the project aligns with NBTE’s broader mission to strengthen national capacity in applied engineering, AI, data-driven innovation and industrial technology.
As part of the conference, NBTE will sign an implementation agreement with MOC-LLC to establish an AI Research Library Hub in Abuja. “The hub will house all models and updates, allowing polytechnics nationwide to access and deploy them easily,” he added.
Bugaje urged polytechnic rectors to support their ICT teams to install and operationalise the labs, saying the system will “elevate teaching standards, expand research and equip students with Machine Learning, AI and advanced statistics skills.”
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