Poly Rectors, Other Stakeholders Call For Scrapping Of HND, Seek Creation Of Commission To Replace NBTE

Rectors of polytechnics and other critical stakeholders have called for scrapping of award of Higher National Diploma (HND), just as they sought for  amendment to the existing Polytechnic Act, to empower them to award Bachelor of Technology ( B.Tech) Honours in skills-based degrees, as part of strategic moves to reposition Polytechnic Education in Nigeria 

The stakeholder including leaders of Committee of Federal Rectors (COFERS), National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), Forum for Nigerian Polytechnics Alumni Association (FOMPA): and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) who made the call on Tuesday during a meeting held in Abuja, also demanded for amendment of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) Act, to replace the board with National Polytechnics Commission as a regulatory body in the country, similar to the National Universities Commission (NUC) regulating university system 

The proposed amendment to the Polytechnic Act is also provides for relevant National Diploma as entry requirement for admission into such B.Tech programmes

Accreditation of B.Tech programmes according to the stakeholders'  resolutions, will be jointly carried out by NBTE and relevant Professional bodies such as CORBON, COREN, etc

They resolved that there should be gradual phase out of HND programmes as Polytechnics meet the requirements to institute the B.Tech Hons. programmes while calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the anti-dichotomy bill passed by the National Assembly into law ,as it affects the current holders of HND 

The stakeholders at the meeting, lauded the boldness of Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof.Idris Bugaje for his efforts so far while commending President Tinubu, the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman and that of Minister of State, Education, Dr.Tanko Sununu for the commitment of the present administration to the education sector, particularly the Polytechnic Education in the country