The Federal Government has unveiled plans to end the long-standing Higher National Diploma (HND) dichotomy by granting polytechnics the authority to award degrees.
It said the reform was designed to strengthen technical and vocational education as a key catalyst for national development. The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced this in Abuja yesterday at a retreat of Governing Council chairmen, commissioners of education, rectors, registrars and bursars.
The minister described the initiative as a historic policy shift, noting that it would bring an end to years of discrimination against polytechnic graduates and reposition polytechnics as centres of excellence within Nigeria’s higher education landscape.
According to him, the reform would strengthen polytechnic education while retaining its practical, industry-oriented focus, adding that Nigeria’s long-term competitiveness hinges on a workforce capable of creating, building and addressing real-life challenges, adding the policy is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasises employment generation, industrial expansion and the development of human capital.
With degree-awarding status, polytechnics were expected to draw deeper industry collaborations, access better funding opportunities and enjoy increased public trust, he added.
Alausa assured stakeholders that the transition would be anchored on well-defined standards, effective regulation and robust quality assurance frameworks to guarantee international competitiveness.
Speaking on the theme, “Transforming Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Innovation, Good Governance and Sustainability for National Development,” he said polytechnics play a vital role in building a skills-based economy.
He added that the ministry had made Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) a top priority to ensure graduates were innovative, industry-ready and positioned to drive economic growth.
He called on polytechnic administrators to foster innovation through entrepreneurship hubs, research centres and strong industry linkages, highlighting renewable energy, agri-technology, digital manufacturing and climate-resilient solutions as key focus areas.
He assured stakeholders that the transition would be guided by clear standards, strong regulation and quality assurance mechanisms to ensure global competitiveness.
Alausa also underscored the importance of sustainability, urging institutions to boost internally generated revenue through production and service delivery, promote environmentally friendly campuses and invest in resilient infrastructure, said polytechnics should strive to meet their own needs and contribute to national self-reliance by reducing import dependence.
While acknowledging existing challenges such as funding shortfalls, obsolete facilities and societal preference for university education, the minister maintained that the prospects ahead far outweigh the difficulties.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to support polytechnics through policy reforms, infrastructure development and strategic partnerships.
He further announced a special intervention by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) this year to equip polytechnic engineering schools with modern facilities, following a similar upgrade of 12 medical colleges in the previous year.
Urging participants to return to their institutions as drivers of reform, the minister said the nation’s future depended on the transformation initiated at the retreat. (Guardian)