NATE seeks Executive Order to end HND–BSc dichotomy
The Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) has urged President Bola Tinubu to sign an Executive Order to end the long-standing dichotomy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and bachelor’s degree (BSc) holders. The association’s national president, Dominic Udoatan, made the call at a press briefing in Abuja. He said the persistent divide between HND […]
Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE)
The Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) has urged President Bola Tinubu to sign an Executive Order to end the long-standing dichotomy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and bachelor’s degree (BSc) holders.
The association’s national president, Dominic Udoatan, made the call at a press briefing in Abuja.
He said the persistent divide between HND and BSc qualifications has hindered productivity, lowered morale among technologists, and limited the full contribution of technical professionals to national development.
Udoatan said polytechnics must be adequately equipped and funded by both federal and state governments to fulfil their expanded responsibilities.
“We appeal that this noble gesture be backed with an Executive Order from the President and an Act of Parliament from the National Assembly,” he added.
He noted that ending the HND–BSc dichotomy would allow existing HND holders to progress beyond Grade Level 14 in their careers, boost morale among technologists and engineers, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrialisation and technological growth.
He urged the federal government to ensure polytechnics are well-funded and equipped to effectively function as degree-awarding institutions.
Udoatan also called for the establishment of a Nigerian Polytechnic Commission (NPC) to regulate and oversee polytechnic education nationwide.
He stressed that several critical engineering skill areas are currently absent from the National Vocational Qualification Framework, despite their importance to industrial development, and appealed for collaboration between NATE, the Federal Ministry of Education, and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to develop standards and curricula in these areas.