The Association of Private Polytechnics in Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to sponsor a bill that would legally abolish the disparity between the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor’s degrees.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday, the President of the Association, Dr. Benjamin Achiatar, emphasized the need for legislative backing to ensure full implementation of the policy. He noted that while the National Council on Establishment had officially removed the dichotomy, poor implementation persists due to the lack of a legal framework.
Achiatar recalled that a bill addressing this issue was passed by the 9th Senate but was never signed into law by the former president. He urged the 10th National Assembly to either reintroduce the bill or revisit the previous one and present it to President Tinubu for assent.
Highlighting the negative impact of the dichotomy, he pointed to a steady decline in applications to polytechnics, as reflected in records from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Many Nigerian students, frustrated by the preference given to university graduates in the job market, have sought education in neighboring countries like Benin Republic, Togo, and Ghana, contributing to brain drain.
He revealed that the association had communicated its request for more JAMB centers to ensure better coverage for private polytechnics, underscoring the importance of technical education in fast-tracking Nigeria’s industrialization.
According to Achiatar, polytechnics and monotechnics focus heavily on both theoretical and practical training, which sets them apart from universities. However, declining interest in technical and technological education has hindered the country’s industrial growth. He urged the government to give more attention to technology-driven education, warning that the economy would suffer if the trend of low enrollment in polytechnics continued.
He also backed recent calls from the Chairmen of Governing Councils of Polytechnics for the conversion of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) into a commission. He argued that upgrading NBTE to a commission would empower it to collaborate with the National Universities Commission (NUC) on accreditation for the award of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degrees, thereby attracting more students to polytechnics.
Achiatar reiterated that addressing these challenges is critical for strengthening Nigeria’s technical education sector and urged the government to take swift action to implement necessary reforms.
