By Erewunmi Peace

The Federal Government has announced plans to scrap the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme and replace it with a degree-awarding system in Nigeria’s polytechnics, a move aimed at ending the long-standing HND–Bachelor’s degree dichotomy.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during a recent education stakeholders’ engagement.

According to him, the reform will empower accredited polytechnics to award academic degrees, putting their graduates on the same footing as university graduates.

Dr. Alausa explained that the decision is part of broader efforts to address discrimination against HND holders in employment, career progression, and public service, while also repositioning polytechnic education to focus on innovation, skills, and national development.

Under the proposed framework, polytechnics that meet the required academic and infrastructural standards will be allowed to transition from offering HNDs to awarding bachelor’s degrees. This change is expected to strengthen technical and vocational education in the country.

Education stakeholders have welcomed the development, describing it as a long-overdue reform.

However, details on implementation, timelines, and how the policy will affect current HND students are yet to be fully clarified.

The Federal Government assured Nigerians that relevant regulatory bodies would provide further guidelines as the policy takes effect.