The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a transformative policy to abolish the long-standing Higher National Diploma (HND) dichotomy by empowering polytechnics to award academic degrees, marking a historic shift in the nation’s tertiary education landscape.
In a keynote address at a high-level retreat in Abuja, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa described the initiative as a landmark policy overhaul aimed at ending decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates and repositioning polytechnics as competitive, high-quality institutions.
According to Dr. Alausa, granting degree-awarding powers to polytechnics will elevate their status, enhance workforce skills, and better align technical and vocational education with Nigeria’s economic and industrial development goals under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Key Highlights of the Reform:
• Ending HND Discrimination: The policy will eliminate the traditional divide that has often placed HND holders at a disadvantage compared to university degree holders.
• Degree-Awarding Status for Polytechnics: Polytechnics will retain their practical, hands-on training focus while now offering recognised degrees, attracting stronger industry partnerships and boosting public confidence.
• Quality Assurance and Regulation: The transition includes clear standards, robust regulation and global quality assurance mechanisms to ensure competitiveness.
• Focus on TVET and Innovation: The reform emphasises Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), with priority areas such as renewable energy, agri-technology, digital manufacturing and climate-resilient solutions.
• Governance and Sustainability: Dr. Alausa urged transparency, ethical leadership, fiscal discipline, and sustainability, encouraging polytechnics to increase internally generated revenue and develop resilient infrastructure.
The move has been widely welcomed by education stakeholders as a turning point that could boost enrolment, motivate students and staff, and strengthen polytechnics’ contributions to key economic sectors like manufacturing and technology.
This landmark reform reflects a broader push to modernise Nigeria’s education system and meet the evolving needs of a competitive global economy.
