NBTE Fires Back At NUC Over Opposition To HND-BSc Conversion Plan

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has fired back at the National Universities Commission (NUC) over the latter’s opposition to its recently introduced top-up programme for Polytechnic graduates to convert their Higher National Diploma (HND) to degree certificates.

The executive secretary of NBTE, Professor Idris Bugaje, expressed the Board’s dissatisfaction to 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.

It would be recalled that the NUC had, in a statement at the weekend, urged the NBTE to stay action on its plan to introduce degree conversion programmes for HND graduates of Nigerian Polytechnics. The NUC’s acting Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, had noted that the NBTE was acting beyond its mandate.

But, responding, according to a statement by the NBTE spokesperson, Fatima Abubakar, on Monday morning, Prof. Bugaje said only the FME Division of Evaluation and Accreditation has the power to assess the foreign degrees after the students have graduated and may seek same.

The NBTE boss also hailed products of Nigerian Polytechnics and cautioned the NUC against “further” discrimination against HND graduates.

The letter 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,” the NBTE boss said in the letter to Education Minister.

The NBTE noted that 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.”