Agency Report
The National Board for Technical Education has unveiled an online top-up programme for Higher National Diploma holders to convert their certification to Bachelor’s Degree through online top-up for one year, with foreign accredited universities.
The board disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday by its Head of Media Unit, Mrs Fatima Abubakar.
Abubakar said this was also to facilitate the progression of HND holders to higher degrees.
“Attempts in the past to get the National Universities Commission to approve a two-year Master of Technology for HND holders in some polytechnics did not see the light of the day.
“Many times, HND Holders are forced to go for a one-year Postgraduate Diploma before they could be admitted into the Master’s Program in Universities.
”The disadvantage of the PGD is that holders who continue to do PhD and wish to migrate to a Nigerian University will always be queried to produce their first degree, even when they have doctorates.
”To end this unwarranted prejudice, NBTE has now created this progression pathway for HND holders. This can be accessed at https://topup.nbte.gov.ng,” she said.
Abubakar added that another challenge facing many polytechnic HND graduates was mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps.
According to her, many are admitted into non-accredited programmes and after the HND, they are not mobilised for the NYSC.
”NBTE has now created a HND admission portal for use by all polytechnics. Only accredited programmes shall be visible on the portal and NYSC shall have viewing rights to know admitted candidates to be mobilised.
”This will hopefully bring an end to illegal HND admissions of unaccredited programmes and at the same time ensure carrying capacities are adhered to for quality assurance.
”Finally, the board wishes to appeal to Mr President to please sign the bill removing the HND-BSc Dichotomy in the public service as passed by the last National Assembly.
”This is to end the unjust and undeserved discrimination against graduates of the polytechnic system,” she said.
She further said that the absence of legal backing necessitated the board to find ways of enhancing the standing of HND holders.
Abubakar said that this must be done because the HND holders in reality hold the key to Nigeria’s industrialisation and key skills for delivery of needed infrastructure in the country. (NAN)
It will be highly appreciated because the discrimination is alarming not minding both theoretic and practical stress the students had been subjected to.
However, some of the questions sets for the students are actually MSc questions as witnessed severally yet, been discriminated against..
It will be highly appreciated if the injustices can be looked into holistically and rectified.
Clap for yourself. When you were admitted to Polytechnic, what was your entry requirements? Was it same as that of the University? Answer yourself. As your counterparts who had diploma and went for DE, you will understand that the laws establishing the university is different from the polytechnic. No one stopped you from going to the University in the first instance. If you have the requirements, why go to Poly? Una dey joke too much
This would go a long way in reducing the level of indiscrimination and injustice suffered by HND holders. It is highly prejudicial.
Quite a number of HND HOLDERS are in all ramifications better than the so called Degree holders, most importantly academic wise. But, the Nigerian system just chose to subjugate them, deprive them a lot of opportunities. We hope this laudable move see the light of the day.
Bsc/ HND dicotomy is an imaginary perception that is holding us back,if we know our place in the system,is enough to pride in our value as critical contributor in industrialization wheel
Clap for yourself. When you were admitted to Polytechnic, what was your entry requirements? Was it same as that of the University? Answer yourself. Ats your counterparts who had diploma and went for DE, you will understand that the laws establishing the university is different from the polytechnic. No one stopped you from going to the University in the first instance. If you have the requirements, why go to Poly? Una dey joke too much
it wasn’t easy running this Programe sinz 2019 to 2023 my people! But it is well …..
In fact if you allow the impossibllity to be possible we shall say thank you to you all behind our success