History

Established in 2018, the Department of Agricultural & Bio-Environmental Engineering commenced the National Diploma (ND) programme in 2020 and received full accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in 2024.

The department is equipped with tractors and other farm machinery, and operates a commercial farm. Current student enrolment is approximately 15. The department emphasises practical training, industry partnerships and applied research.

Goals and Objectives

The ND programme trains technicians capable of carrying out maintenance, repairs and supervision of agricultural engineering systems. On successful completion, graduates should be able to:

• Operate, maintain and repair tractors, implements and farm machinery.
• Supervise and manage mechanized farms and farming operations.
• Construct and maintain small earth dams, drainage and irrigation systems.
• Implement soil conservation measures such as contours, terraces and strip cropping.
• Construct simple farm storage structures (silos, cribs, etc.) and maintain primary crop processing machines (shellers, decorticators, mills, grinders).
• Install, maintain and repair irrigation equipment and basic electrical systems in farm buildings.
• Prepare brief technical reports, farm survey plans and land capability classifications.

Entry Requirements

Applicants may be considered for admission if they meet one of the following:

1. Pass in English Language and credit passes in four subjects (including Mathematics, Physics, Biology/Agricultural Science or Chemistry) at SSCE/GCE O'Level (not more than two sittings).
2. Pass in English Language and credit passes in an NBTE-recognized preliminary ND course with credits including Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

Admission Requirements

• SSCE/GCE/NECO with credits in English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Agricultural Science/Biology.
• ND holders in related disciplines may be considered for HND entry.
• Successful applicants must pass departmental screening and meet the institution's general admission rules.

Structure of Programme

The ND programme runs for two years (four semesters) including three to four months of supervised industrial work experience (SIWES) between semesters two and three.

Conditions of Award

Diplomas are awarded to candidates who meet coursework, examination and practical requirements, including supervised industrial experience. External moderation and the unified grading system apply.

Curriculum

The curriculum comprises three components:

• General Studies / Education
• Foundation Courses
• Professional Courses

General education covers English, communication and selected social sciences (≤15% of contact hours). Foundation courses include mathematics, sciences and technical drawing (≈10–15%). Professional courses provide the core technical and practical skills (≈60–70%).

Accreditation

Each ND programme must be accredited by the NBTE before diplomas are awarded. For details contact the Executive Secretary, Programmes Department, National Board for Technical Education, Plot B, Bida Road, P.M.B. 2239, Kaduna, Nigeria.

Guidance Note for Teachers Teaching the Programmes

The new curriculum is drawn in unit courses. This is keeping with the provisions of the national Policy of Education which stress the need to introduce the Semester credit units which will enable a student who so wish to transfer the units already completed in an institution of similar standard from which he/she is transferring.

In designing the units, the principle of the modular system by product has been adopted; thus making each of the professional modules, when completed provides the student with technician operative skills, which can be used for employment purposes. As the success of the credit unit system depends on the articulation of programmes between the institutions and industry, the curriculum content has been written in behavioural objectives, so that it is clear to all the expected performance of the student who successfully completed some of the courses or the diplomats of the programme.

There is a slight departure in the presentation of the performance based curriculum which requires the conditions under which the performance are expected to be carried out and the criteria for the acceptable levels of performance. It is a deliberate attempt to further involve the staff of the department teaching the programme to write their own curriculum stating the condition existing in their institution under which the performance can take place and to follow that with the criteria for determining and acceptable level of performance.

Departmental submission on the final curriculum may be vetted by the academic board of the institution. Our aim is to continue to see it that a solid internal evaluation system exists in each institution for ensuring minimum standard and quality of education in the programmes offered throughout the polytechnic system and similar post – secondary technical institutions.

The teaching of the theory and practical work should, as much as possible, be integrated. Practical exercises, especially those in professional courses and laboratory work should both be taught in isolation from the theory. For each course, there should be a balance of theory to practice in the ratio of 50:50 or 60:40 or the reverse.

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