EDUCATION

Everything You Need to Know About Federal Polytechnic Bida (BIDA POLY)

ABOUT FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC BIDA

The Federal Polytechnic Bida began in 1977 following the decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to move to Bida the then Federal College of Technology, Kano. In the same year, the first principal, Professor J. W. Brooks, a Canadian, was appointed on September 5, 1977.

The Bida College of Technology, as it was called, then embarked on the task of recruiting pioneer staff. The first academic session started in April 1978 with 211 students and a staff strength of 11 senior staff and 33 junior staff. With the promulgation of Federal Polytechnic Decree Number 33 of 1979, the Bida College of Technology automatically became the Federal Polytechnic Bida.

Federal Polytechnic Bida is one of the best polytechnics in Nigeria, according to NBTE and Webometrics. The institution is located in Bida, Niger State.

The permanent site of the Federal Polytechnic lies along Bida Doko Road and covers a land area of about 400 hectares, which is approximately 2 km by 2km. The physical development of the site started in early 1979, and by October that same year, the administrative staff and some departments had moved to the permanent site. The development continued in phases, and the polytechnic is housed comfortably on its permanent site today.

THE POLYTECHNIC COMMUNITY

Bida is a community dominated by the NUPE’s, Hausas and a few Yorubas. The majority of the students in the polytechnic are from the northern region, and likewise, the polytechnic has students from the southern region. Federal Polytechnic Bida is believed to be one of the most popular and populated polytechnics in Nigeria due to its large number of students. There are lots of businesses in Bida, ranging from fuel stations, hotels, electronics, restaurants, bars, boutiques, point of sale, and many others.

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ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

Federal Polytechnic Bida operates on two campuses and runs four academic programs: full-time, evening, part-time, and degree programs. The main campus is located in Bida, and their mini campus is located at Suleja, Niger State.

1. FULL-TIME PROGRAM

The full-time program, also known as the morning program, is a 2-year program of 4 semesters available for both ND and HND. Lectures are held from morning to afternoon for the morning program. Candidates admitted on merit by Jamb are admitted to the full-time program. The school fees for full-time programs are very cheap, as the highest amount students pay is #65,000 per session.

2. EVENING PROGRAM

The evening program is the same as the full-time (morning) program, and the major difference is school fees. Sometimes lectures start at 12 p.m. for some departments and at 8 a.m. for others.

The school can’t offer admission to everyone, so those who are not lucky enough are automatically given an evening program. The benefit of this program is that Jamb isn’t compulsory, and with 100 in UTME, you can gain admission to the school, and you will be receiving lectures as full-time students. School fees for evening programs are about #75,000 per session. The duration of the evening program is 2 years of 4 semesters.

3. PART-TIME/WEEKEND PROGRAM

Bida Poly part-time, also known as the weekend program, is a 2-year program of 6 semesters, and lectures are held in the evening and on weekends. This program is recommended for civil servants or working-class students who want to make money while studying. This program is available for both ND and HND; however, not every course is available for weekend programs. School fees for weekend programs are about #80,000 per session for the first year and #70,000 for the second year.

Below are the approved courses you can study at Bida Poly under the weekend and part-time programs.

Microbiology
Biochemistry
Hospitality management
Nutrition and Dietetics
Business Administration and Management
Public Administration
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical Electronics Engineering Technology
Electronics and Telecommunication (HND)
Power and Machines (HND)
Mechanical Engineering
Plant Engineering (HND)
Manufacturing Engineering (HND)
Architecture Technology
Building Technology
Estate Management and Valuation
Quantity Surveying
Urban and Regional Planning
Accountancy
Banking and Finance
Computer Science
Mass Communication
Office Technology Management

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4. DEGREE AND POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES

BIDA POLY offers various undergraduate degree and postgraduate programs in affiliation with the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA). This program is 4 years for a BSc and 2 years for a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD).

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Differences between the full-time, evening, and weekend programs in Bida Polytechnic:

Part-time and weekend students receive lectures at the Suleja campus, while full-time and evening students receive lectures at the main campus in Bida.

Both the full-time, evening, and weekend or part-time programs are 2 years.

Full-time and evening programs take a duration of 2years of 4 semesters, while part-time or evening programs take a duration of 2years of 6semesters.

Full-time school fees are cheaper than all other academic programs offered by the polytechnic.

All courses offered by the polytechnic can be studied under full-time and evening programs, but only limited courses can be studied under weekend or part-time programme.

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ACCOMMODATION IN BIDA POLY

The school has hostels to accommodate students, and it charges #10,000 per session. The school hostel is peaceful, and you don’t have to worry about paying electricity bills and others. If you don’t like to stay in the school hostel, you can get accommodation off-campus. A single room in Bida ranges from 45k to 65k per year, while a self-contained apartment ranges from 90k to 120k and above per year, depending on the level of your pocket.

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BIDA POLY SCHOOL FEES

School fees at Fed Poly Bida are cheap and affordable as long as you are coming through the full-time program, but part-time school fees are kind of expensive.

NDI: #61,500

NDII: #42,500

HNDI: #56,500

HNDII, #42,500

Apart from school fees, other fees that students pay for are the acceptance fee of #20,000, departmental dues, medical fees, and SUG fees among others.

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ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES.

Federal Polytechnic Bida is bouncing back and is now competing to be one of the fastest polytechnics in Nigeria. The SUG President and his executives have been trying their best when it comes to welfare and other matters that affect the students’ populace.

The cost of textbooks and handouts ranges from #1,000 and above, while some lecturers only give out materials to their students. The polytechnic lecturers are very strict, but you won’t have issues with them as long as you abide by their rules and regulations.

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BIDA POLY hardly withdraw students over academic performance, and should any student get withdrawn, that means such a student really deserve it because the school has a principle whereby if a student fails many courses, such a student may be allowed to graduate but would still come back to rewrite all the failed courses.

One commercial bank (Polaris) is operating inside the school, while there are a few other banks operating off-campus. Some of the popular departments at Bida Poly are mass communication, science laboratory technology, public administration, business administration, office technology and management, among others.

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BIDA POLY ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

If you are applying for admission to Bida Poly, here are some of the admission requirements for ND, HND and other programs:

1. ND FULL-TIME PROGRAM

Applicants must sit for the last UTME and obtain a minimum score of 100 plus five credits in O’level at not more than two sittings.

2. ND EVENING PROGRAMME

Interested applicants coming through the evening program must possess a minimum of five (5) credit passes in SSCE, NTE, NECO, WAEC, GCE, NBC, or NABTEB at not more than two sittings. In addition, interested candidates must possess a current JAMB result with a minimum score of 100.

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3. HND PROGRAMMES

Applicants seeking admission for HND full-time, evening, or weekend programs must possess a National Diploma (ND) in the relevant program with a minimum of Lower Credit in the field of interest and (5) Relevant Credits in SSCE, NTC, GCE, WAEC, NECO, NBC, or NABTEB Level. A minimum of one (1) year of post-National Diploma (ND) equivalent working experience (industrial training). Candidates who didn’t do their ND at Bida Poly are required to send their academic transcripts to the polytechnic registrar before they can be considered for admission.

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SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS

Bida Poly has eight faculties and over 30 programs: the School of Applied and Natural Science, the School of Business Administration and Management, the School of Engineering Technology, the School of Environmental Studies, the School of Finance, the School of Information and Communication, the School of Agriculture, and the School of Basic and General Studies. See the full list of courses offered at the federal polytechnic in Bida here.

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What is the JAMB cutoff mark for Bida Polytechnic?

To gain admission to the school, you must have scored at least 100 in the last UTME to qualify for the institution’s admission.

How much are the hostel fees for Bida Poly?

The cost of hostel accommodation is #10,000, #12,000, and #15,000, depending on allocation.

How much is acceptance fee?

Acceptance fee is twenty thousand naira (#20,000) only for both ND and HND. Academic transcripts is #10,000, while the collection of certificates is #15,000. You can also access the school portal at www.fedpolybida.edu.ng.

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