Reflections on developments in polytechnic education
The Executive Secretary of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje, announced two major developments affecting the degree and organisational structures of polytechnic education in Nigeria
The Executive Secretary of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje, announced two major developments affecting the degree and organisational structures of polytechnic education in Nigeria at the recently concluded retreat on polytechnic education (see Retreat on improving polytechnic education, The Nation, February 4, 2026). One was a Bill before the National Assembly on removing the dichotomy between HND and university degree. The other development is the establishment of a National Polytechnics Commission. The lack of debate on the occasion presumes the acquiescence of the polytechnic audience in the hall. Nevertheless, both developments deserve further scrutiny, while being historically situated.
Over the years, the dichotomy between Higher National Diploma and a university degree has been a subject of intense debate. Although four years are required for training after the Senior School Certificate to attain either HND or a university degree, the entry requirements (such as cut-off points for admission) and the end products after training are quite different.
Originally, HND graduates were trained in specific skills to meet middle level manpower needs, while university graduates were trained to provide high-level manpower and specialised skills for professional development. This led to differences in entry positions, salary structure, and career paths in the job market. As universities mushroomed over the years, the supply of graduates outpaced job market growth, and polytechnic graduates were further sidelined. This intensified the dichotomy between the two.
It is no wonder then that the NBTE has made many attempts at resolving the dichotomy and enhance the quality of polytechnic education. This twin goal was the subject of the announcement by the Executive Secretary of the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje. One was about a Bill before the National Assembly, asking for the conversion of the Higher National Diploma to a university degree. The other is about the establishment of the Polytechnic Commission.
There have been three types of attempts at resolving the dichotomy between HND diploma and university degree. It all began over a decade ago with the Postgraduate Diploma course offered by some universities to prepare HND holders for a Masters degree.
This was followed by failed attempts by the NBTE to get the National Universities Commission (NUC) to approve a two-year Master of Technology (M.Tech) degree for HND holders to be run in polytechnics. Thereafter, NBTE pushed further to introduce a one-year “top-up” programme in the university for the award of a university degree. This was even carried to the ridiculous extent of arranging online courses with universities in Malaysia, India, and Russia for the purpose. The proposal fell under heavy criticism, especially by the National Universities Commission.
As the debate on the dichotomy between HND and university degree raged, the National Assembly stepped in to consider bills to abolish the dichotomy, either to equate the two or to empower polytechnics to award university degrees. None of the bills made it into law.
All attempts at abolishing the dichotomy or harmonising the two had been resisted to date, due partly to misunderstanding, partly to lack of the consent of primary stakeholders, and partly to unresolved conflict between the NBTE and the NUC, which is statutorily empowered to regulate the award of university degrees. The absurdity of NBTE’s attempts at resolving the dichotomy was roundly criticised by The Punch Editorial Board (‘Converting’ HND to degree is absurd, The Punch, October 26, 2023).
This brings us to the ongoing attempt announced at the retreat. If the Bill passes, the implications are fourfold: (1) The nomenclature of the degree would change from HND to B.Tech. (2) In order to qualify for a university degree, the courses must align with university courses of equivalent standard. (3) It will be necessary for the National Universities Commission to regulate the courses in order to meet university degree standards.
The second development announced by the NBTE Executive Secretary is the proposed establishment of a National Polytechnics Commission (NPC), like the Universities Commission, to supervise, regulate, and coordinate polytechnics and higher technical education across Nigeria. The language of the bill implies total replacement of the regulatory functions of the NUC on the degrees to be awarded by polytechnics. As presently conceived, the NPC will advise government on the establishment and development of polytechnics, approve new institutions and programmes, and provide quality assurance across the sector.
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To be sure, polytechnics deserve better supervision than they currently have. The NBTE established to supervise them has over 700 other TVET institutions to supervise. NPC will come in handy in filling that gap. At the same time, however, the question remains as to why two parallel Commissions are needed to regulate the award of university degrees.
There is yet another question. If polytechnics are going to award only BTech degrees, will that degree nomenclature apply to library studies, mass communication, and business studies degrees as well? If only Higher National Diploma is awarded for these courses, will that not perpetuate the HND vs university degree dichotomy the NBTE has been struggling to eradicate?
For purposes of parity, it will also be necessary to ensure that entry requirements for polytechnics are similar to those for universities, at least for those who intend to pursue their training to degree level. This will require minimum university entry requirements, that is, 5 credits in the WASSCE (including English and Mathematics) and university entrance cut-off in the UTME.
Finally, the flurry of activities aimed at harmonising the dichotomy between HND and university degree seems to have left behind the original reason polytechnics were established in the country, namely, to train students in specific technical and entrepreneurial skills to provide middle-level manpower.
