Nigeria Scraps Award of HND Certificates by Polytechnics – The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, scrapping the award of the Higher National Diploma (HND) by the nation’s polytechnics.

In effect, the award of the HND will be limited to only the students currently admitted for the programmes.

Also, all the programmes currently being run by the polytechnics, which are not technology-based, and which are about 70 per cent, will be scrapped.

Under the new rule, the polytechnics will now become campuses of the proximate universities with the Vice Chancellors of those universities appointing provosts for the polytechnics, subject to the ratification of the Universities Councils.

The polytechnics will now be limited to award of the National Diploma (ND) while those desirous of further education will be awarded the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) by the proximate university.

To kick-start the new policy, the nation’s two most prominent polytechnics – Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic – will henceforth be known as City University of Technology, Yaba and City University of Technology, Kaduna.

And to give legal teeth to these approvals, the FEC approved the submission of two Executive bills to the National Assembly for enactment into law.

With education being on the concurrent list, the states may wish to consolidate their tertiary institutions. But if they do not wish to follow the federal example, their programmes will continue to be regulated by the relevant agencies of the Federal Ministry of Education.

The first bill will concretise the setting up of the two city universities while the second will approve the preparation and consolidation of all federal polytechnics and colleges of education as campuses of proximate universities.

The Ministry of Justice will do the preparation and submission of the two bills to the National Assembly.

Minister of Education, Mall. Adamu, told journalists after the weekly meeting of the council that under the reform measures, her ministry would, however, continue to licence private polytechnics and colleges of education for the award of qualification at ND and National Certificate in Education (NCE) levels.

She said: “There will be no more award of HND.

After we have exhausted the current students under the programme, there will be no more award of HND. This means that there will be no fresh admission for HND programmes. And in addition, any programme that is not technical will be out of the polytechnics. About 70 per cent of polytechnic graduates are in the non-technical courses. It is going to be a rigorous implementation programme.”

A ministerial committee to ensure the smooth implementation of all that is required for the take-off of the reform initiatives is to begin work immediately.

Mall. Adamu said: “The HND certificate will remain a legal tender in Nigeria and holders of such certificate will continue to be recognised as the equivalent of first degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to progression in the work place.

The NCE certificate will be retained as the minimum teaching qualification at the basic level of education. Any higher qualifications by these private or state-owned polytechnics will be only affiliation with a university. So, HND is no longer in existence, but existing HND will be respected and considered legal tender.”

The council also approved the Federal Government’s formal take-over of the Waziri Umaru Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, which will be the College of Technology campus of the Othman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, as well as the Hussein Adamu Polytechnic, Kazaure, Bauchi, which will be a College of Technology of the proximate university in the state.

Also, the Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, Imo State, has been taken over as a campus of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

A state that had never had any federal institution, like Bayelsa, is to have a College of Technology as a campus of the College of Technology of the University of Port 

https://www.financialwatchngr.com/2018/06/05/nigeria-scraps-award-of-hnd-certificates-by-polytechnics/amp/

Noted

Still no improvement to educational system.

The ones originally started as university has lost his glory...producing graduates with crap load of half backed theoretical knowledge...no deep research potential, no innovation...

Now they are turning polytechnics that weren't even functioning well as polytechnics to begin with into universities. Without proper infrastructural, academic or research content upgrade....

both institutions weren't dsame in the first place, they were supposed to serve different purposes..

Small time, NUC will pounce on their poor HND and BSC holding lectures...after all, u are supposed to have a PHd to be head lecturer / lecture1 in a university

Anyways , congratulations for the poly student for the upgrade...but why the selction of a few, why not just turn all into universities..what about those in the east.

Why no polythechnic from the South East as City of Technology ? So IMT, Alvan Ikoku, Okoh Poly are not prominent enough. This government stinks of tribalism and nepotism.

basisop:
Why no polythechnic from the South East as City of Technology ? So IMT, Alvan Ikoku, Okoh Poly are not prominent enough. This government stinks of tribalism and nepotism.

yabatech is far better than most universities... I dunno about Kaduna or south east poly.

wildimagination:
All the more rubbishing the educational system...

The ones originally started as university has lost his glory...producing graduates with crap load of half backed theoretical knowledge...no deep research potential, no innovation...

Now they are turning polytechnics that weren't even functioning well as polytechnics to begin with into universities. Without proper infrastructural, academic or research content upgrade....just because u wanna erase the descriminating line btw HND and BSc....

both institutions weren't dsame in the first place, they were supposed to serve different purposes..

Small time, NUC will pounce on their poor HND and BSC holding lectures...after all, u are supposed to have a PHd to be head lecturer / lecture1 in a university

honestly I don't know what best answered your incoherent ideology... as a university student have u benefit something meaningful out of ur certificate? is that certificate recognize globally? be deceiving yourself. d whole system is corrupt and sick.. if that's what the educational section can do to help HND so be it and kudos to them.. we are brothers I know what it takes to struggle for admission in a country like Nigerian even to secure admission in some polytechnics is by prayer and fasting... so why ranting... focus on better things. we only seek honour and respect by saying I went to so so university.. who you epp? abeg majority of university graduate are into yahoo yahoo... so focus on ur life.. life is short... kudos to Adamu .. congrat to polytechnic student..

isikcomen:


honestly I don't know what best answered your incoherent ideology... as a university student have u benefit something meaningful out of ur certificate? is that certificate recognize globally? be deceiving yourself. d whole system is corrupt and sick.. if that's what the educational section can do to help HND so be it and kudos to them.. we are brothers I know what it takes to struggle for admission in a country like Nigerian even to secure admission in some polytechnics is by prayer and fasting... so why ranting... focus on better things. we only seek honour and respect by saying I went to so so university.. who you epp? abeg majority of university graduate are into yahoo yahoo... so focus on ur life.. life is short... kudos to Adamu .. congrat to polytechnic student..

It's lack of comprehension thats worrying you thats why at some point u ddnt notice we mean the same thing or why are u still stressing that out university gradutes at the end of the day are into fradulent practices...
I doubt if u know a thing or two about what a polytechnic or university should be... are there no polytechniques in the united kingdom.? they are two separate institutions with different goals.

we all have different reactions to an information.
congratulating the students was ur reaction because u see it as an upgrade. Upgrade to what exactly?

But If u were paitient enuf to understand me, u will notice my post isnt a about the conversion, but about the government not attacking the problem of the decay in our education system.

If its congratulations thats making u not underatand, no wahala.