“Renew the Call”: Polytechnic Rectors Make Move to Replace HND With Bachelor Degree

• Rectors and Provosts of polytechnics across Nigeria will be meeting today(Tuesday, May 21) to debate discrimination of HND holders
• The meeting will avail the reactor opportunity to also debate the proposal to replace the HND programme with Bachelor of Technology
• Also to renew the call on the federal government to assent to the bill seeking the removal of the dichotomy between a Bachelor's degree and HND

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide

FCT, Abuja - All is set as Rectors and Provosts of polytechnics and other TVET-awarding institutions debate the proposal to replace the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme with the Bachelor of Technology.

The Director, Human Resources of the National Board of Technical Education, Lawal Hafiz, disclosed this in a letter addressed to rectors.

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Lawal said the meeting which would hold on Tuesday, May 21 would look at issues surrounding the continued discrimination of the holders of the HND certificates and fashion out ways of addressing the age-long problem, The Punch reports.

He added that it would also avail members the opportunity to renew the call on the federal government to assent to the bill which seeks to remove the dichotomy between Bachelor's degree and HND.

The bill sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure, seeks to remove the discrimination of polytechnic graduates from their university counterparts in employment and promotion in the workplace..

“It is hoped that the national dialogue would look at the proposal to replace the HND programme with Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech); and or to renew the call on Mr President to assent to the bill passed by the National Assembly for an ‘Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First degree and Higher National Diploma in the same Profession/Field for the Purpose of Employment and for Related Matters’ as a panacea to the problem.”

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Steps for HND holders to do conversion

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) on Monday, August 14, 2023, formally unveiled an online top-up programme for HND holders to convert their certification to a Bachelor’s Degree (BSc).

The board revealed this in a statement made available to Legit.ng by its Head of Media Unit, Mrs Fatima Abubakar.

As it currently stands, there is discrimination in public service in Nigeria, as Bachelor’s holders are ranked better than their counterparts who possess an HND certificate.

Source: Legit.ng