FG to Scrap HND Dichotomy, Empower Polytechnics to Award Degrees

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to abolish the Higher National Diploma (HND) dichotomy by granting polytechnics the authority to award bachelor’s degrees, in a move designed to reposition technical and vocational education as a key driver of national development.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this policy shift in Abuja on Wednesday during a high-level retreat attended by council chairmen, commissioners of education, rectors, registrars, and bursars.

Describing the reform as landmark, Dr. Alausa said it would end decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates, elevate polytechnics into centres of excellence, and ensure parity with universities in the higher education landscape. He emphasized that while polytechnics would gain degree-awarding powers, they would retain their hands-on, industry-focused training strengths, maintaining the practical edge that distinguishes their graduates.

The minister further highlighted that Nigeria’s future competitiveness hinges on a workforce capable of creating, building, and solving real-world problems, and that this reform aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes job creation, industrial growth, and human capital development.

With the new degree-awarding status, polytechnics are expected to attract stronger industry partnerships, access improved funding opportunities, and enjoy greater public confidence, ensuring a more robust and inclusive technical education sector for Nigeria.