Major universities in the West gladly show-off pictures (on school websites, etc) of grads of their programs who hold top positions in the society.

If any higher institution needs that level of exposure in Nigeria, it's the polytechnics!
OND/HND holders are discriminated against in both public and private sectors.

Whereas, in my experience, these poly guys/gals are amazingly smart, e.g. many OND/HND contemporaries passed our occupation's professional exams 3-5 years earlier (on the average) versus those of us with univeristy degrees.

Action: Do you know any HND holder who is a high-flyer in his/her calling (in or outside Nigeria)? Please list. . . No Mickey Mouse names oh, abeg 

The taste of the pudding is in its eating, no be so?

I'll start off - Mr. Wole Sodipe - Executive Director at Bank PHB. HND from Nassarawa Poly (Did I hear someone shout, "Nassarawa of all places!". . . Na you sabi o. . . That's the point of this post) Let's roll, people!

Shuo! I thought all HND holders sceaming blue murder on NL threads for not obtaining recognition equal to BSc/BA holders would gladly show off successful Nigerians from their stock.

Passionate card-carrying members of "E Go Better for HND" party like Zebra, HND-Holder, Newtontoyo, etc, oya now. . .Abi una no too dey perform when the chips are down?

Prove us wrong by listing successful HND holders. I got the ball rolling by listing a successful HND holder I know about. Over to you.

@canuck
How do u expect us to have top HND holders in nigeria when u are others have continued to suppress their knowledge, efforts and contributions to the nigerian society?? Anyway we still have people like HND-holder of nairaland, a PhD holder in engineering, we have people like Apollos Ikpobe, he's one the ED's of zenith bank plc; he holds HND certificate from YabaTech. I know some that are PhD holders today and are lecturing in universities. Even under suppression they were still able to rise up.

HND holders should upgrade their degree . with a Msc

I HOLD HND ACCOUNTING AND PGD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, AT PRESENT I AM WORKING AS THE CHIEF ACCOUNTANT /PERSONNEL MANAGER IN A VERY GOOD PAY COMPANY.OBVIOUSLY, I AM VERY SOUND IN MY PROFESSION AND 6 BSC ACCOUNTING ARE WORKING UNDER ME AND THEY KNOW WE ARE NOT OF THE SAME CLASS IN TERM OF EXPERIENCE ON THE JOB. BSC OR HND IS NOT THE DETERMINANT BUT GRACE OF GOD.INFACT, IN NIGERIA WHERE EVERY THING IS BAD PEOPLE SHOULD JUST KEEP QUIET BECAUSE BSC AND HND HAS NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY.

@zebra

Nice contribution.

I have found that many BSc/BA holders do not know about high flying HND holders, and therefore perpetuate the baseless stereotype of superiority. A thread like this may help broaden the prevalent narrow mindset, right?

hmm yea

canuck:

@zebra

Nice contribution.

I have found that many BSc/BA holders do not know about high flying HND holders, and therefore perpetuate the baseless stereotype of superiority. A thread like this may help broaden the prevalent narrow mindset, right?

Many people who are made today at one time or the other passed through the polytechnic before  migrating to the university for fear of being discriminated; and that's why you dont hear so much about polytechnics producing top guys in the soceity, but they actually in one way or the other contributed in moulding some of the top people in the soceity. Remember even former[b] president Obasanjo [/b] holds HND certificate too. My project supervisor in ABU is a PhD holder in statistics, and these are his qualifications;
ND statistics & computer - katsina poly
HND statistics - kadpoly
PGD statistics - uni ibadan
MSc statistics - uni ibadan
PhD Statistics - ABU zaria

He is a senior lecturer with the Department of Mathematics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

good

Fantastic Guys!!I'm proud of all these comments. As a matter of fact I'm also a HND holder but hey, it is no determinant factor to where i am going. The important thing is; I can defend my certificate wherever i go on the face of the earth. Let me tell you a short story: I presently work in a reputable world-class organisation and during the recruitment process of over 2,000 applicants, i was part of the last 6 finalists and ofcourse the only HND holder. I came tops in the final interview and now that i have spent over 2 years with the organisation, i have moved within 3 departments and on these ocassions, my managers were reluctant to release me to the other departments cos they perceived my exit as that which would create a big vaccum. So my fellow nairalanders, it is not about Bsc/HND, it is all about what you've got upstairs and ofcourse of the fact that life is all about "time and chance - being at the right place at the right time" as expressed in the HOLY BOOK!! Can I have a witness in the house?

@owojaiyeo

you are right. Good of you. But try and go for masters, that will make you more relevant in your work place.

yes the Hnd stigma will forever follow him and he will find out that he has to work twice as hard to prove his worth.

my advice to Hnd people is get a Msc and enjoy the rest of your career in peace

candylips:

yes the Hnd stigma will forever follow him and he will find out that he has to work twice as hard to prove his worth.

my advice to Hnd people is get a Msc and enjoy the rest of your career in peace

well, HND certificate has suffered so much. Let government abolish it please.

Nigerians with uni/poly war. Small wonder why we are always thrashed by the western world. Whatever your degree, be it in university of polytechnic is just a preamble. Upon graduation you still need to certify yourself in whatever field you have eventually chosen. I graduated with an HND in public admin, got another degree in marketing, got trained in the army as an engineer and now hold a isaca certification in information system auditing. The funny thing is i already have a job in England as an info systems auditor come 2011. My employers recognise my certification and not how many degrees i have. proffessional certification is the way to go.

^^^ good for u

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of undastandin, nor yet favour to men of skill; BUT TIME AND CHANCE HAPPENETH TO THEM ALL.
I work in a communication firm where my CEO happens to be an UNDAGRADUATE (NO hnd nor bsc) but he's d boss n there nothing we can do about it. I'm an HND holder (BAM) n happens to be one of the branch Managers. In my branch, 5 bsc holders are reporting to me (departmental Managers). They are older than me age wise BUT bad enough for them, in our firm, people are NOT promoted base on age, qualificatn nor yrs of experience, rather contributn & inputs (dedication) to duties.
Finally Brethren, people's stars are different n its nt about hnd/bsc stuff, so pls lets stop fighting.

@Prince E

No body is fighting; we are only saying that undue advantage should not be given to Bsc holders over HND holders. Everybody should be allowed to prove or defend his or her certificate and not on the basis of Bsc or HND,

Dis Guy:

GMD/CEO First Bank Of Nigeria

He holds an HND Upper Credit in Accountancy from Lagos State College of Science & Technology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and an Associate Member of the Nigeria Institute of Taxation. He is also a Director of FBN Bank (UK) Limited and FBN Insurance Brokers Limited.

Stephen Olabisi Onasanya FCA

that has not change anything. HND holders are still being discriminated in the private and public sectors.

ishmael:

that has not change anything. HND holders are still being discriminated in the private and public sectors.

have you written to them, these private and public officials especially those with HND certificate
have you written to your representative or just silently enrolled in a degree/pgd course up in kd

Apollos Ikpobe- Youngest Executive Director, Zenith Bank PLC

HND Accountancy- Yabatech, Fellow, ICAN, and MBA Unilag.

There's something i stil dont understand with this 'disparity'

What exactly is the difference between someone with HND Accountancy and B.A Accountancy

It's good to encourage oneself and I feel for you guys, given the not-totally-justifiable discrimination you guys face.

Let me drop a couple of names.

FOLA ADEOLA: Co-founder of GTB and their MD for over 12 years. He had HND from Yabatech but had some foreign post-graduate qualifications too.
LARA BANJOKO: Former COO of Oando's downstream subsidiary. HND yabatech, FCA.

List will be updated as I remember others.

Jarus:

It's good to encourage oneself and I feel for you guys, given the not-totally-justifiable discrimination you guys face.

Let me drop a couple of names.

FOLA ADEOLA: Co-founder of GTB and their MD for over 12 years. He had HND from Yabatech but had some foreign post-graduate qualifications too.
LARA BANJOKO: Former COO of Oando's downstream subsidiary. HND yabatech, FCA.

List will be updated as I remember others.

Don't mind them; the same Fola Adeola does not even want to employ HND holders. HND holders are employed as contract staff in GT bank.

Dis Guy:

have you written to them, these private and public officials especially those with HND certificate
have you written to your representative or just silently enrolled in a degree/pgd course up in kd

write to who? don't mind them; some of them don't even like employing HND holders in their companies. The likes of Fola Adeola of GT bank, who has HND but discriminates against other HND holders.

too bad of him

May president GEJ and senate presido, David Mark help solve this discrimination against poly HND graduates. This discrimination has driven a lot of poly graduates from the polytechnic system into the university system even when it was not necessary, but because of fear of being looked down at in the society. Those of us that were previledged to study in both poly and uni can speak better without bias about the merits and demerits of both institutions. The university system can not score excellent in all aspects, there are lapses in the uni system too. The poly system has a better and robust curriculum than the university because of its technical nature .

ishmael: The poly system has a better and robust curriculum than the university because of its technical nature .

Make up your mind. Is it equal to, or is it better?

AjanleKoko:

Make up your mind. Is it equal to, or is it better?

The HND is as good as the university degree, therefore it's equivalent to the degree. HND seems better in terms of applied knowledge and skills.

Rauf Aregbesola: HND (Mech. Eng.) Ibadan Poly

Jarus: Rauf Aregbesola: HND (Mech. Eng.) Ibadan Poly

Laffingg. Rugged governor.