Consequently, institutions award of the Higher National Diploma (HND) will be limited only to students currently admitted for the programmes. Also, all technology-based programmes which are about 70percent currently run by the polytechnics, faces extinction.
The new law when fully enforced, the polytechnics will now become campuses of the immediate universities with the Vice Chancellors of those universities appointing provosts for the polytechnics, subject to the ratification of the Universities Councils.
The polytechnics will only be limited to award of the National Diploma (ND) while those interested in furthering further education will be awarded the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) by the immediate university.
For this new education policy to start in earnest, two of the nation’s most prominent polytechnics, Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic will now be known as City University of Technology, Yaba and City University of Technology, Kaduna respectively.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the submission of two Executive bills to the National Assembly for enactment into law, all in bid to give the new education policy a legal backing.
With education being on the concurrent list, the states may wish to consolidate their tertiary institutions. But if they do not wish to follow the federal example, their programmes will continue to be regulated by the relevant agencies of the Federal Ministry of Education.
The first bill will empowe the setting up of the two city universities while the second will approve the preparation and consolidation of all federal polytechnics and colleges of education as campuses of proximate universities.
The Ministry of Justice is expected to do the preparation and submission of the two bills to the National Assembly. Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Mallam. Adamu Adamu, briefed newsmen immediately after the weekly meeting of the council that, under this new reforms, her ministry would continue to licence private polytechnics and colleges of education for the award of qualification at National Deploma and National Certificate in Education (NCE) levels.
“There will be no more award of HND. After we have exhausted the current students under the programme, there will be no more award of HND. This means that there will be no fresh admission for HND programmes. And in addition, any programme that is not technical will be out of the polytechnics. About 70 per cent of polytechnic graduates are in the non-technical courses. It is going to be a rigorous implementation programme.”
He further stated that, ministerial committee to ensure the smooth implementation of all that is required for the take-off of the new reform initiatives of the education sector is to begin work immediately.
“The HND certificate will remain a legal tender in Nigeria and holders of such certificate will continue to be recognised as the equivalent of first degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to progression in the work place.
The NCE certificate will be retained as the minimum teaching qualification at the basic level of education. Any higher qualifications by these private or state-owned polytechnics will be only affiliation with a university. So, HND is no longer in existence, but existing HND will be respected and considered legal tender.” Said Mallam Adamu
The Executive Council also approved the Federal Government’s formal take-over of the Waziri Umaru Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, which will be the College of Technology campus of the Othman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, as well as the Hussein Adamu Polytechnic, Kazaure, Bauchi, which will be a College of Technology of the proximate university in the state.
Also approved is the Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, Imo State, to be taken over as a campus of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
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