The National Universities Commission (NUC) has disowned a scheme initiated by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), aimed at bridge the gap between polytechnic and university degrees. Stakeholders had, for many years, called for the abolition of the dichotomy between the Higher National Diplomas (HND) offered by polytechnics and bachelor degrees offered by universities.
In 2021, a bill was passed at the ninth national assembly to end the disparity, but it was not signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The NBTE, which regulates technical and vocational education, recently introduced what it describes as a one-year top-up programme that offers a platform for HND holders to level up towards obtaining a bachelor’s degree.
However, in a statement on Saturday, the NUC denounced the NBTE scheme, describing it as illegal.
The statement said statement signed by the acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Chris Maiyaki, noted that the move was in clear violation of its mandate.
The statement said, “Even though agitation continues to grow for the abolition of the dichotomy in Nigeria, there is, at the moment, no law that has removed the dichotomy between a university degree and the HND.
“The place of technical education, the world over, is unique.
“The university degree awarded by the Nigerian university system or any cognate institution is not the same as the HND awarded by polytechnics in Nigeria.
“In the Nigerian higher education space, the processes, contents, and methods required for the acquisition of a university degree are substantially different from those needed for HND programmes.”
The NUC noted that, “At the post-graduate level, the requirements for admission into any master’s degree programme for HND holders are, among others, the acquisition of a relevant postgraduate diploma (PGD) from a recognised university.”
The commission said beneficiaries of the NBTE’s top-up programme will be subjected to these admission requirements, should they desire to further their studies in the Nigerian university system.
The statement warmed that, “The unsuspecting general public and all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies should note that the NUC is not a party to and, indeed, disavows the so-called top-up scheme, being concocted by the NBTE.
“In light of the above, the advice of the NUC is that the NBTE should focus on its core mandate and desist from introducing programmes outside its jurisdiction, and not supported by any law in Nigeria”.
