FUNCTIONALITY OF FACILITIES OF ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE WORKS PROGRAMME OF TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN NORTH-EAST ZONE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the functionality of facilities in technical colleges in the North-East Zone of Nigeria. One purpose of study was stated, one research question answered and one null hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study employed descriptive survey research design in which a 57-item questionnaire collected data from a sample of 42 respondents, made up of 10 principals, 22 teachers and 10 workshop attendants, which were randomly selected from 10 technical colleges. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question. The Analysis of Variance (F-statistic) was used to test the null hypothesis. Findings of the study showed that 20 out of 26 equipment were moderately functional, which included workbench, winding machine, clamp, battery charger and DC motor. Fourteen out of 16 tools were rated functionally moderate. Those rated functionally moderate included screw drivers, mallet, reamers, strippers and gimlet. Five of the 15 measuring instruments were rated moderately functional. The remaining 10 measuring instruments were rated functionally low. They included A.C. voltmeter, energy meter (both single phase and three phase) and oscilloscope. The finding further revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean scores of principals, teachers and workshop attendants on the extent to which facilities were functional for a minimum class size. The null hypothesis, Ho, was therefore, upheld. The study recommended that heads of the technical colleges needed to make concerted effort to ensure facilities supplied to their institutions were functional, properly stored, used and maintained. It also recommended that a close cooperation between technical colleges and industries, especially in areas of manpower training, needed to be fostered. Industries could provide students with the practical know-how, especially during industrial attachment and as well employ the students after graduation.