(NAN) – The Association of Private Polytechnics in Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to propose a bill that will permanently eliminate the disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) and bachelor’s degrees in the country.
Dr. Benjamin Achiatar, President of the association, made this appeal during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The long-standing divide, which often results in preferential treatment for bachelor’s degree holders in government employment, was officially abolished by the National Council on Establishment. However, Achiatar noted that poor implementation has rendered the policy ineffective due to the absence of legal backing.
Need for Legislative Action
Achiatar emphasized that previous efforts to address the issue gained traction when a bill was passed by the 9th Senate. However, it failed to become law as it was not signed by the then-president.
“The Bill to back it up was passed at the 9th Senate but was not duly signed into law by the then president. Therefore, a new Bill needs to be sponsored or the previous one revisited by the present 10th National Assembly and sent to President Bola Tinubu for his assent,’’ he said.
Declining Enrollment in Polytechnics
According to Achiatar, this policy gap has contributed to dwindling interest in polytechnic education, as reflected in the decreasing number of applications recorded by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Achiatar, who also serves as the Proprietor of Gboko Polytechnic, highlighted the critical role of technical education in driving industrialization.
“We handle mostly technical trainings in Nigeria. In the polytechnics and monotechnics, we have various courses; we train our students both in theory and practical. The emphasis we place on practical trainings is what makes us different from the university,’’ he said.
He stressed the urgent need for government intervention to revitalize interest in technical and technological education.
“We are requesting government to pay attention to all technology and technical education in Nigeria because in the last few years, interest in technical and technological education has been reducing,’’ he said.
Economic Implications of Low Enrollment
Achiatar warned that declining enrollment in polytechnics and monotechnics poses a significant risk to Nigeria’s economic growth.
“We are hoping that the government will see this and give adequate attention to this area, which will enable students to see the incentive to train in the field,’’ he said.
He further noted that the lack of incentives discourages students from enrolling in HND programs, while the government appears more focused on university education.
“That is why we are requesting that the government should sponsor a Bill in the National Assembly that will do away with the dichotomy,’’ Achiatar said.
Support for NBTE Reform
Achiatar also endorsed the recent recommendation by the Governing Councils (CCC) of Polytechnics to convert the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) into a commission.
He argued that such a transformation would empower the NBTE to better address the needs of polytechnics in Nigeria.
“It will have the capacity to work with the National Universities Commission (NUC) to do accreditation in Polytechnics for the award of B.Tech (Hons), which will attract more students,’’ he said.
The association’s push for legislative intervention aims to create a level playing field for HND graduates while making technical education a more viable and attractive option for students in Nigeria.
