Top 10 Polytechnics in Nigeria for 2024

Would you like to know the best polytechnics in Nigeria in 2024? Then you are at the right place.

Tertiary education in Nigeria is very popular among the youth. Unlike many other African countries that take tertiary education less seriously, Nigerians ensure they get it as it is a significant determinant of the kind of place they can work.

In Nigeria, degree-awarding universities offer 4-year courses, which are quite different from the country’s Polytechnic system. Nigerian Polytechnics offers two different kinds of programs; National Diploma and Higher National Diploma.

Usually, a full-time National Diploma takes two years, while a full-time Higher National Diploma takes three years. It might take longer than this if the programs are taken part-time.

The Best Nigerian Polytechnics in 2024

If you want to know the Best Polytechnics in Nigeria, this guide will greatly assist you. Choosing just anyhow polytechnic to obtain your ND or HND might be a bad idea, so you should be informed of the best ones in the country.  

1. Yaba College of Technology

Yaba College of Technology, known as YABATECH, was founded in 1947 as Nigeria’s first higher educational institution. The Polytechnic was renamed the Federal Polytechnic, Yaba, but later changed to its current name.

YABATECH has an urban campus in Yaba and boasts a student enrolment of over 16,000. For a very long time now, it has topped the list of the best Polytechnics in Nigeria. This best explains the reason for the high enrolment of students.

2. Auchi Polytechnic

Auchi Polytechnic was established in 1963 and is among the first four Polytechnics to be established in Nigeria. The Polytechnic is located in Auchi, Edo State, and is managed and sponsored by the Federal Government.

Auchi Poly currently boasts over 10,000 students enrolled in business, environmental, arts, and technology courses.

3. Federal Polytechnic Ilaro

Another one of the best polytechnics in Nigeria is the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, which is located in Ilaro, Ogun State. It was established on July 25, 1979, and opened officially on November 15, 1979.

The Polytechnic has since acquired the reputation of a quintessential institution educating and training students in five schools or faculties.

4. Federal Polytechnic Nekede

The Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, is a polytechnic in Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. When Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, was established in 1978, it was called College of Technology, Owerri, and had its name changed when it moved to its current location in Nekede.

The Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, was formerly owned by the Imo state government until April 1993, when the Federal Government took over. This Polytechnic offers National Diploma and Higher National Diploma courses at the undergraduate levels.

5. The Polytechnic Ibadan

Popularly known as Poly Ibadan, The Polytechnic, Ibadan is a tertiary institution in Ibadan, Oyo State. It was founded in 1970 and is similar to other Polytechnics in Nigeria.

The institution was established to provide an alternative higher education to universities, particularly in technical skill acquisition. The Polytechnic, Ibadan, has a vocational and skills acquisition centre designed to ensure that students master a skill before leaving the institution and also provides skills training to the host community.

6. Osun State Polytechnic

Osun State Polytechnic is a state Polytechnic located at Iree, Osun State. It is popularly known as OSPOLY. Osun State Polytechnic’s establishment is very connected to The Polytechnic, Ibadan. The Osun State Polytechnic was formerly a satellite campus of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

It later became autonomous on October 12, 1992. This was how it all began. Osun State Polytechnic has 7 schools/faculties.

7. Federal Polytechnic Oko

Federal Polytechnic, Oko is a government-owned polytechnic in Oko, Anambra State. The polytechnic was founded in 1979 as the College of Arts, Science, and Technology. Since its establishment, the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, has been among the developing tertiary institutions in the country.

Federal Polytechnic, Oko, has three campuses in Anambra State. The main campus is Oko, while the other two are Ufuma and Atani, Anambra State. It has functional memoranda of understanding with different universities within and outside the country. The school has eight academic faculties.

8. Imo State Polytechnic

Imo State Polytechnic (IMOPOLY) is an Umuagwo, Imo State higher education institute. The Polytechnic was established in 1987 as the Michael Okpara College of Agriculture, Umuagwo, and was later upgraded to a Polytechnic status in 2007. This was when it was renamed Imo State Polytechnic.

Imo State Polytechnic offers courses, training, and research in Agriculture, Engineering, Management Sciences, and Food Sciences. The institution is also certified to award National Diploma and Higher National Diploma qualifications to students who complete the programs.

9. Kaduna State Polytechnic

Kaduna Polytechnic is one of the earliest polytechnics in Nigeria, located in the Tudun Wada area of Kaduna South local government of Kaduna State, North-Western Nigeria.

It was established in 1956 as Kaduna Technical Institute after the British Government accepted the upgrading of Yaba Higher College (now Yaba College of Technology) to a technical institute and proposed the establishment of technical institutes in Kaduna and Enugu through the recommendation of the Higher Education Commission.

10. Rufus Giwa Poly

Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, situated in Owo, Ondo State, holds the 10th position in our 2024 ranking of Nigerian polytechnics.

The Polytechnic offers a range of courses, particularly strong in the Engineering and Technology fields. However, to climb higher in the rankings, it could benefit from diversifying its program offerings.

The campus boasts basic educational facilities. Yet, there’s room for enhancement, particularly in upgrading laboratory equipment and digital resources to foster a modern learning environment.

Are Poly Graduates highly rated in Nigeria?

Before you go to any tertiary institution, you must have thought about what is next after getting your degree or diploma.

If you are attending a university, you might believe that the benefits are limitless in the country and less for Polytechnic Graduates. Well, that might be wrong.

Be it a degree, ND, OND, HND, or NCE. You will surely find a marketplace in Nigeria. The truth is that Polytechnic graduates are not highly rated in Nigeria because most people think a Diploma is a less-standard way of grading students.