A bill aimed at abolishing the discrimination between Bachelor of Science degree holders and Higher National Diploma holders has passed its second reading in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas explained that the bill proposes replacing the HND with a Bachelor of Technology (BTech), allowing polytechnic graduates to compete more favorably with their university counterparts.
The bill, sponsored by Fuad Laguda from Lagos State, also highlights the significance of technical education in Nigeria.
Speaker Abbas said, “The position taken by all polytechnic boards in Nigeria is the abolition of the HND and, in its place, the introduction of the Bachelor of Technology, so that at least graduates of polytechnics will be able to compete with those from universities.“
He further noted that polytechnic boards are advocating for “hybrid supervision,” explaining: “At the same time, they are calling for hybrid supervision, where the degree component of polytechnic education will be handled by the NUC (National Universities Commission), while the national diploma will continue to be overseen by the NBTE (National Board for Technical Education).”
Due to the proposed degree program, Speaker Abbas added: “Because of the degree component of this amendment, they believe that the qualification for the position of rector should also be upgraded to a PhD holder at the minimum. Since we are now talking about degree programmes, it is only proper for such an institution to have a PhD holder as its head.”
The bill’s progression has sparked conversations about the future of technical education and how the proposed changes could reshape the academic landscape for polytechnic graduates in Nigeria.
