In the next few years, with the federal government’s tertiary education reform, there will be no more dichotomy between polytechnics and universities in the country. Also, all the programmes currently being run by the polytechnics, which are not technology-based, and which indeed constitute about 70 per cent of its curriculum, will be scrapped. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, scrapping the award of the Higher National Diploma (HND) by the nation’s polytechnics. 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. The 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. The minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, addressing journalists after the FEC meeting, said, “There will be no more award of HND. After we have exhausted the current students under the programme, there will be no more award of HND. This means that there will be no fresh admission for HND programmes. And in addition, any programme that is not technical will be out of the polytechnics. About 70 per cent of polytechnic graduates are in the non-technical courses. It is going to be a rigorous implementation programme.” He said a ministerial committee to ensure the smooth implementation of all that is required for the take-off of the reform initiatives is to begin work immediately. Adamu said: “The HND certificate will remain a legal tender in Nigeria and holders of such certificate will continue to be recognised as the equivalent of first degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to progression in the work place. With education being on the concurrent list, the states may wish to consolidate their tertiary institutions. 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. The minister said under the reform measures, his ministry would, however, continue to licence private polytechnics and colleges of education for the award of ND and National Certificate in Education (NCE) levels. However, this decision has continued to elicit mixed reactions from Nigerians and stakeholders in the sector. The disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelors of Science (B.sc) degree has been contentious issue in Nigeria, especially in the civil service where HND fresh graduates are placed on Grade Level 7 while university graduates are started on Grade Level 8. Successive governments, especially the administration former President Olusegun Obasanjo, tried to bridge the gap but demonstrated no strong will to effect it. To give legal teeth to these approvals, the Federal Executive Council has approved the submission of two executive bills to the National Assembly for enactment into law. The minister of Education, explained that the first bill will concretise the turning of Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic, to City University of Technology, Yaba and City University of Technology, Kaduna, respectively, while the second will approve the preparation and consolidation of all federal polytechnics and colleges of education as campuses of proximate universities. He added that the Ministry of Justice will do the preparation and submission of the two bills to the National Assembly. At the second education summit of Igbajo Polytechnic, Osun State, the lead speaker and past registrar and chief executive officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Dibu Ojerinde, said the development of polytechnic education was key, if Nigeria must compete with technologically advanced nations. In his paper titled: ‘Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Prospects and Relevance,” Ojerinde, while faulting government’s emphasis on paper certification instead of technical education, which polytechnics offer, said that polytechnic education was the answer to technological advancement. “For Nigeria to be advanced technologically and scientifically, the political will to implement national objectives and plans must be formulated and implemented. Nigeria must get serious with the issue of technology and science-based education because this is where to begin. “The polytechnic education is important because it emphasises practice-based learning and the acquisition of certain life skills,” Ojerinde said. He lamented that applications and admissions into polytechnics has dwindled since 2010 because of government’s lip service to technical education. Governor of the State of Osun Mr Rauf Aregbesola, in his remarks commended the American system of education, which he said does not encourage dichotomy between polytechnics and university products. Also, former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, noted that perception is the first step towards addressing the widening gap that has been created through the disparity between the two avenues of higher learning. Also speaking, the rector, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Oluyemi Oke, in his paper titled: “Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: What Future.?” advised the Federal Government to quickly introduce Bachelor of Technology to replace Higher National Diploma. “There must be a change in the perception of the polytechnics, their lecturers, students and eventual products. Society should stop looking at students who opted for polytechnic education as those that cannot make it to the university or have failed academically,” he said. But, some stakeholders express worry over the quality of the students that the polytechnics may turn out at the end of the day. They note that the entry point for university is higher than that of polytechnic while there are specific number of professors and Ph.D holders required in a particular faculty in a university, unlike in the polytechnics, where in some cases, university graduates are lecturers. The president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof Biodun Ogunyemi has opposed the abolition of the dichotomy. According to him, “The tenacity of the university and polytechnic qualifications are tested at the work place. People have been saying that there is no disparity between HND and BSC certificate but I don’t see how both graduates can match each other especially at the level of workplace.” The chairman of the Nigerian Computer Society and a senior lecturer in the department of Computer Science, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Dr Bukola Onashoga said there should be practical application of knowledge acquired. “Those who are succeeding in the IT world today succeeded as a result of their practical presentations of what they have learnt “If you are either a BSC or HND holder and you are unable to display in practical what you have learnt in school, then it is nothing, forget about the qualification either BSC or HN. On this field, it is not about qualification, it is all about what you can do practically,” Onashoga said . Dr Mohammed Sylvanus Itodo, a lecturer at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said the scrapping of the dichotomy was long overdue. According to him, there was no difference whatsoever between graduates of polytechnics and universities so they should both be accorded the same due and respect. And for the immediate past speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the move by the federal government to upgrade Higher National Diploma (HND) is a good idea. Ikuforiji told LEADERSHIP Sunday that, “It is all well and good. The basic idea behind the polytechnic education in the first instance was creating that cadre of professionals who are technically orientated and giving them technological education. But the view looking round today, those who attend polytechnics, colleges of education all end up converting back to the normal degree in order for them to be relevant.” He noted that the motive behind the creation of polytechnics is virtually defeated, saying, “Why not go for degree that is technologically oriented so that the palaver that HND is not equivalent to BSc will come to an end. For another lawmaker, Hon Gbolahan Yishawu, HND should be retained. “What I think federal government should do is to do conversion of certificate for those that had HND certificates. The conversion, he said would enable the people with HND certificate to be at the same level with their Bsc. counterparts. Holders of HND welcome the development, yet some believe that matters may further be messed up by the seeming haste in the implementation. Ayamolowo Jumoke , a HND holder said, “They are messing up the entire education system, instead of fixing it. What will happen to those students who have laboured and worked hard to buy forms and even paid money? Will their money be refunded? If HND is going to be scraped then they should have made preparations earlier in order not to cause calamity.” For Emegha Anita, the scrapping of HND is very good. “They are wasting students’ time. Let us have a merger. Nobody wants to be discriminated against or be of the opinion that polytechnic education is for people who weren’t able to secure a university education.” Source:leadership]]>