Tinubu Administration Plans to Abolish HND, Allow Polytechnics Award Degrees
The Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu has unveiled plans to abolish the Higher National Diploma (HND) and empower polytechnics to award degree qualifications, in a move aimed at ending long-standing discrimination against polytechnic graduates.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the policy shift on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level retreat involving governing council chairmen, rectors and key education stakeholders.
Alausa said the initiative is designed to eliminate the long-standing dichotomy between HND holders and university degree graduates, which has continued to restrict the career growth and professional recognition of technically trained graduates in Nigeria.
According to him, the reform will reposition polytechnics as centres of excellence, emphasising that they should no longer be viewed as inferior to universities but recognised as equal contributors to national development.
The minister noted that Nigeria’s future depends on a skilled workforce capable of building, creating and solving real-world problems, adding that this practical orientation remains a core strength of the polytechnic system.
He assured stakeholders that strict regulatory frameworks and quality assurance measures would be implemented to ensure that degrees awarded by polytechnics meet global standards.
Beyond academic restructuring, Alausa warned polytechnic administrators against corruption, stressing that transparency, accountability and zero tolerance for financial misconduct must guide institutional management.
He also announced a special intervention by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to modernise engineering schools in polytechnics with state-of-the-art equipment.
While acknowledging challenges such as outdated infrastructure and societal bias against technical education, the minister urged polytechnic leaders to drive change by embracing innovation in areas including renewable energy, digital manufacturing and applied technology.
“The future of our youth, our economy and our nation depends on the transformation we ignite here today,” he said.
The proposed reform comes amid years of advocacy by education stakeholders and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the passage of the HND Discrimination (Prohibition) Bill.
