"Abolish HND": Former NABTEB Registrar Proposes Radical Change for Nigerian Polytechnics

• Prof. Olu Aina, former NABTEB Registrar, has called on the federal government to empower Nigerian polytechnics to award bachelor and postgraduate degrees
• During a convocation lecture at the Osun State College of Technology, he emphasised the need for structural reforms within the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE)
• Aina's recommendations include extending the National Diploma to three years with integrated apprenticeship periods

Prof. Olu Aina, former Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), has called on the federal government to enable polytechnics to award bachelor and postgraduate degrees in technology-related programs.

Prof. Aina emphasised the need to abolish the Higher National Diploma (HND) during his convocation lecture at the 8th combined convocation of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke.

Call for degree programmes in polytechnics

Delivering a paper titled ‘Revitalising Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: From Challenges To Opportunities,’ Aina highlighted that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has failed to fulfil its regulatory obligations.

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This failure, he argued, has led to Nigerian polytechnics lagging behind their global counterparts.

Aina advocated for polytechnics to retain their designations while being statutorily empowered to offer degree programmes at Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels in technology-related fields.

Abolishment of the Higher National Diploma

Prof. Aina proposed that the National Diploma (ND) should continue, but the Higher National Diploma (HND) should be abolished.

He recommended a transition period of five to six years to allow academic staff to upgrade their qualifications.

The new National Diploma should span three years, incorporating two six-month apprenticeship periods after the first semesters of the first and second years, with the final two semesters focused on school-based learning.

Structural reforms for NBTE

Criticising the current structure of the NBTE, Aina noted that it has become part of the problem rather than a solution for polytechnic education.

He called for the establishment of a new commission dedicated to polytechnics, ensuring the effective delivery of their mandate.

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Ending dichotomy between polytechnic, university

Legit.ng previously reported that the National University Commission (NUC) said the differences between university degree holders and holders of the Higher National Diploma still exist, adding that President Bola Tinubu has not signed the act to abolish it.

Chris Maiyaki, the NUC acting secretary, in a statement on Sunday, October 15, made the clarification while dismissing the report that the NBTE had started offering a year course to make the programme equal with the Bachelor's degree, Daily Independent reported.

Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng