By Felix Khanoba
Two agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) are currently at dagger-drawn over the latter’s decision to float a Higher National Diploma (HND) to degree’s conversion programme.
Acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki, had at the weekend lashed out at the NBTE’s programme, saying it is only the Commission that has the power to regulate scheme that has to do with the award of degree in the country.
But NBTE, which rolled out the one-year top-up programme for graduates of Polytechnics without liaising with NUC, on Monday hit back at the Commission over its opposition to the scheme.
Executive Secretary of NBTE, Professor Idris Bugaje, in a strong-worded statement expressed the Board’s dissatisfaction with NUC’s stance on its conversion policy in a letter to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, in response to questions bordering on the newly initiated HND Top-Up Program using offshore credit transfer admission.
However, NBTE spokesperson in response to NUC’s position on Monday morning, quoted Prof. Bugaje as saying that only the Federal Ministry Education (FME) Division of Evaluation and Accreditation has the power to assess the foreign degrees after the students have graduated and may seek the same.
The NBTE commended products of Nigerian Polytechnics and advised 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 program 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. Last year, a shining example was Miss Islamiyat Ojelade, 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 the BSc. and not even MSc.
“Let us, therefore, start respecting our HNDs here at home and stop this discrimination by NUC and others with this mindset.”
