FG Scraps Hnd, Converts Polytechnics To Campuses Of Universities Govt scraps HNDs, merges polys with varsities.

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a comprehensive reform of Nigeria's tertiary education system, scrapping the award of the Higher National Diploma (HND) by the nation's polytechnics.
In effect, the award of the HND will be limited to only the students currently
admitted for the programmes. Also, all the programmes currently being run by the polytechnics, which are not technology-base­d, and which are about 70 per cent, will be scrapped.
Under the new rule, the polytechnics will now become campuses of the proximate universities with the Vice
Chancellors of those universities appointing provosts for the polytechnics, subject to the ratification
of the Universities Councils. The polytechnics will now be limited to award of the National Diploma (ND)
while those desirous of further education will be awarded the Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) by the
proximate university. To kick-start the new policy, the nation's two most prominent
polytechnics - Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic - will henceforth be known as City
University of Technology, Yaba and City University of Technology, Kaduna. And to give legal teeth to these approvals, the FEC approved the submission of two Executive bills to the National Assembly for enactment into law. 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 concretise 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 will do the
preparation and submission of the two
bills to the National Assembly.
Minister of Education, Mrs. Obiageli
Ezekwesili, told journalists after the
weekly meeting of the council that under the reform measures, her ministry
would, however, continue to licence
private polytechnics and colleges of
education for the award of qualification
at ND and National Certificate in
Education (NCE) levels. She said: "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." A ministerial committee to ensure the
smooth implementation of all that is
required for the take-off of the reform
initiatives is to begin work
immediately.
Ezekwesili said: "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."
The 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, the Alvan Ikoku College of Education,
Owerri, Imo State, has been taken over as
a campus of the Federal University of
Technology, Owerri. A state that had
never had any federal institution, like
Bayelsa, is to have a College of Technology as a campus of the College of
Technology of the University of Port
Harcourt. Also, Bali, in Taraba State, is to
have a college of technology as a campus
of the proximate university.
The Council also approved a New National Gender Policy, which is to handle issues
of concern to men and women.
The Council also approved contracts for
the expansion of the air cargo apron of
the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, at
a cost of N822 million, as well as the installation of simulation training and
fire-fighting equipment at the National
College of Aviation Technology (NCAT),
Zaria.