The National Universities Commission (NUC) has dissociated itself from a National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) scheme claiming to bridge the dichotomy between polytechnic and university degrees.
Over the years, calls from stakeholders to end the disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) offered by polytechnics and Bachelor degrees offered by universities have not yielded any breakthrough
Also ,a bill passed by the ninth national assembly in 2021 to bridge the gap was not signed into law .
In view of this,the NBTE, which regulates technical and vocational education, some months ago,unveiled what it describes as a one-year top-up programme which offers a platform for HND holders to obtain a bachelor’s degree to be at par with bachelor degree holders
But in a statement on Saturday, the NUC took a swipe at the NBTE scheme.
The commission said it is “not a party to the so- called top – up scheme being concocted by the NBTE.”
It said while it believed that Technical education the world over is unique, the university degrees awarded are not the same as HND in terms of” processes, contents and methods “
“Even though agitation continues to grow for the abolition of the dichotomy in Nigeria, there is, at the moment, no law that has removed the dichotomy between a university degree and the HND,”
“The place of technical education, the world over, is unique.
“The university degree awarded by the Nigerian university system or any cognate institution is not the same as the HND awarded by polytechnics in Nigeria.
“In the Nigerian higher education space, the processes, contents and methods required for the acquisition of a university degree are substantially different from those needed for HND programmes.”
At the post-graduate level, the requirements for admission into any master’s degree programme for HND holders are, among others, the acquisition of a relevant postgraduate diploma (PGD) from a recognised university.
NUC said beneficiaries of the NBTE’s top-up programme will be subjected to these admission requirements, should they desire to further their studies in the Nigerian university system.
“The unsuspecting general public and all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies should note that the NUC is not a party to and, indeed, disavows the so-called top-up scheme, being concocted by the NBTE,” the commission said.
“In light of the above, the advice of the NUC is that the NBTE should focus on its core mandate and desist from introducing programmes outside its jurisdiction, and not supported by any law in Nigeria.”it added
