Kehinde Fajobi
The Association of Private Polytechnics in Nigeria has urged President Bola Tinubu to sponsor a bill eliminating the longstanding disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor’s degree holders.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, February 19, the association’s president, Dr Benjamin Achiatar, said that despite the National Council on Establishment’s decision to remove the dichotomy, its implementation has been weak due to a lack of legal backing.
“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 Tinubu for his assent,’’ he said.
Achiatar argued that the disparity has discouraged students from enrolling in polytechnics, leading to a decline in applications recorded by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Many Nigerian students, he said, are now seeking higher education in neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic, Togo, and Ghana, contributing to brain drain.
He revealed that the association had also requested more JAMB centres to improve coverage for polytechnic admissions.
Highlighting the role of technical education in industrial development, Achiatar, who owns Gboko Polytechnic, stated, “We handle mostly technical training in Nigeria; in the polytechnics and mono-technics, we have various courses, and we train our students both in theory and practical.
“The emphasis we place on practical training is what makes us different from the university.’’
He stressed the need for government intervention, saying, “We are requesting the 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.”
Achiatar warned that the diminishing interest in polytechnic education is harming the economy, as students increasingly opt for universities due to the preferential treatment given to BSc holders in employment.
“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.
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Reiterating the need for legislative action, he added, “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 also backed recent calls by polytechnic governing councils to convert the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) into a commission, saying it would strengthen technical education.
“They will have the capacity to work with the National Universities Commission to do accreditation in Polytechnics for the award of B. Tech (Hons), which will attract more students.
“So, these are the issues that are motivating us to inform Nigerians and the government about the advantages of boosting technology education in the country,’’ he said.