Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAPOLY), Bauchi, has received approval from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to begin a National Diploma (ND) programme in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the 2026/2027 academic session.

According to the NBTE approval, ATAPOLY is ranked first among 41 institutions approved to offer the programme, based on its available qualified lecturers and technologists, as well as facilities such as AI laboratories, programming and digital systems, microcontrollers and practical project facilities.

The NBTE has also approved 80 students under Stream A for the first intake of the programme, which will give students practical knowledge in areas such as artificial intelligence, programming, machine learning, data processing, robotics and other digital technologies.

The approval comes weeks after the NBTE formally unveiled the new ND curriculum in AI for polytechnics nationwide, at an event in Abuja where the Executive Secretary of the Board, Prof. Idris Bugaje, explained that the curriculum was developed in response to growing global demand for AI skills and emerging technologies. Bugaje disclosed that the Board had introduced a Higher National Diploma in AI years earlier but found that graduates entering the programme needed stronger foundational knowledge, which informed the development of a standalone ND curriculum.

He added that lecturers from institutions intending to offer the programme would undergo compulsory five day training in Abuja and Lagos, exposing them to AI concepts not covered in conventional computer science programmes. Bugaje further disclosed that the Board was already implementing the Nigerian Youth Skills Empowerment Programme, through which ND holders in electrical engineering receive further training and employment opportunities in Denmark and Poland, with discussions ongoing for a similar arrangement for AI graduates.

This approval marks a major achievement for ATAPOLY, reflecting the Polytechnic's commitment to providing students with skills that meet the demands of today's technology driven world. With the commencement of the programme, ATAPOLY is set to play an important role in developing the next generation of AI and digital technology professionals in Nigeria.