The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has expressed dissatisfaction with the stance of the National Universities Commission (NUC) on its introduction of the one-year top-up programme for graduates of polytechnics to convert their Higher National Diploma (HND) to bachelor’s degree certificates.
DAILY POST recalls that the NBTE announced a few days ago the introduction of a one-year top-up programme for graduates of polytechnics to convert their HND to bachelor’s degree certificates.
But NUC, in a statement during the weekend, objected to the plan by NBTE to introduce degree conversion programmes for HND graduates of Nigerian polytechnics, saying that was not within NBTE’s purview.
However, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Professor Idris Bugaje, in a strong-worded statement on Monday, expressed the board’s dissatisfaction with NUC’s stance on its conversion policy in a letter to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
NBTE spokesperson Fatima Abubakar, in response to NUC’s position on Monday morning, quoted Prof Bugaje, advising NUC against further discrimination against HND graduates.
The NBTE letter to the minister reads, in part: “I write to update you on the media response last week of the National Universities Commission of Nigeria to an NBTE-initiated progression for HND holders through the top-up programme in foreign (offshore) accredited universities.
“Only the FME Division of Evaluation and Accreditation has the power to assess the foreign degrees after the students have graduated and may seek that.
“NBTE only provides HND curricula content for credit mapping and eventual credit transfer admissions. The admissions are made by foreign universities, and their Senates make awards of degrees, not NBTE. In fact, the entire process is designed to operate seamlessly without NBTE.
“NBTE also has no financial benefit in the whole exercise, though we requested low tuition of a maximum of about 10% of regular fees since course delivery is online.
“Online programmes are today a globally accepted mode of education delivery, especially in the 21st century. Nigerian educational policy has accommodated that, with an open university approved by the Federal Government and NBTE-approved open distance flexible and e-learning centres being operated by 36 polytechnics at the moment, and the number is growing.
“Nigerian HNDs are much respected globally. Many European countries give them direct admissions for Masters. A shining example was Miss Islamiyat Ojelade, an HND Distinction in Science Lab Technology (Biochemistry) graduate from the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, who last year received PhD admissions and scholarships from seven top US universities without a BSc or even MSc.”
