EHCON, NBTE Partnership Achieves Reform In Environmental Health Education

The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has announced the unbundling of the existing Higher National Diploma (HND) programme from four National Diploma (ND) programmes into 14 specialised, skills-based areas in environmental health and public health across Colleges of Health Sciences and polytechnics nationwide.

A statement from the registrar/chief executive officer of EHCON yesterday said the historic milestone in the advancement of environmental and public health education in Nigeria came after three years of technical reviews, stakeholder engagements and curriculum development was concluded on Thursday, reflecting the visionary leadership and commitment of the executive secretary of NBTE and the registrar/CEO of EHCON in strengthening competency-based education and professional practice in Nigeria.

According to the statement, the newly-developed skills-based HND programmes are designed to enhance specialisation, improve workforce capacity and align training with modern environmental health challenges, including climate change, waste management, food safety and public health risk mitigation.

“This reform represents a significant step in the ongoing rebranding vision of EHCON and directly contributes to Nigeria’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, education, and environmental sustainability.

“It also aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises human capital development and sectoral transformation,” the statement added.

EHCON reaffirmed its commitment to continuous collaboration with NBTE and other critical stakeholders to ensure effective implementation, accreditation and nationwide adoption of the new programmes.

“This milestone sets a new benchmark for technical and vocational education in Environmental Health in Nigeria and is expected to produce highly skilled professionals capable of addressing emerging environmental and public health challenges,” it said.