NBTE Mandates Mandatory Skills Certification for Polytechnic Graduates
“This new policy will eliminate indolence among academics who previously avoided pursuing doctorate degrees by working in polytechnics,” said Bugaje. “Lecturers must now have both academic and hands-on skills, and the NSQ was introduced to promote this requirement.”
Binye-lum 
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has announced that starting this year, all polytechnic students in Nigeria must undergo a Mandatory Skills Qualification (MSQ) before graduation. This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Dr. Idris Bugaje, at a press conference held at the board’s head office in Kaduna.
Dr. Bugaje also stated that new schemes of service for the polytechnic sector require that Principal/Chief Lecturers must hold doctorate degrees. He described the policy as a significant shift aimed at producing diploma holders with practical skills, emphasizing that parity with universities means polytechnic lecturers must attain higher academic qualifications beyond master's degrees.
“This new policy will eliminate indolence among academics who previously avoided pursuing doctorate degrees by working in polytechnics,” said Bugaje. “Lecturers must now have both academic and hands-on skills, and the NSQ was introduced to promote this requirement.”
The approved schemes of service, which recognize Higher National Diploma (HND) holders as Graduate Assistants like their university counterparts, have been circulated. Amendments to address grey areas have been submitted to the Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan.
Bugaje highlighted that the 2024 schemes are revolutionary, marking the first time HND holders are recognized as Graduate Assistants in polytechnics. “We can’t allow the highest academic qualification in polytechnics to be a master’s degree while seeking parity with universities,” he asserted.
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Addressing concerns from the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) regarding the NSQ certificate for lecturer promotion, Bugaje clarified that the NSQ is an officially recognized qualification within the National Schemes of Service.
Moving forward, Bugaje emphasized that accreditations in state polytechnics would focus strictly on academic programs to maintain standards. He also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to extend the tenure of the Head of Service to finalize the schemes of service for the polytechnic sector before her retirement.
