The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the scrapping of the award of the Higher National Diploma (HND) by polytechnics in the country.
Thus, the Federal Government has restricted the award to only the students currently on admission for the various programmes country in a move the Minister of Education, Dr. Adamu Adamu stated forms part of the comprehensive reform of the tertiary education sector.
This is just as the Federal Government is set to scrap programmes currently being run by the polytechnics, which are not technology-based.
According to the minister, under the new rule, the polytechnics will now become campuses of the proximate universities with the Vice Chancellors of those universities appointing provosts for the polytechnics, subject to the ratification of the Universities’ Councils.
Adamu stated that with the new arrangement, polytechnics will now be limited to award of the National Diploma (ND) while those desirous of further education will be awarded the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) by the proximate university.
He stated that two most polytechnics – Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic, will change their nomenclature as they would now be known as City University of Technology, Yaba and City University of Technology, Kaduna.
And to give legal teeth to these approvals, the FEC approved the submission of two Executive bills to the National Assembly for enactment into law.
He however added that states that are interested can borrow the FG’s model, “But if they do not wish to follow the federal example, their programmes will continue to be regulated by the relevant agencies of the Federal Ministry of Education.”
Report by By Olaolu Oladipo, Lagos
It would be recalled that that the COUNCIL OF ESTABLISHMENT which comprises of all the head of service of the 36 States of the Federation and the head of service of the Federation approved the removal of this long overdue dichotomy which hinder the career progression of HND holders in civil service in her meeting held in Minna Niger state capital
