The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the long-standing Higher National Diploma (HND) dichotomy by granting polytechnics the authority to award degrees, in a major reform aimed at strengthening technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday while addressing a high-level retreat of council chairmen, commissioners of education, rectors, registrars and bursars.
Describing the initiative as a landmark policy shift, Alausa said the move would end decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates and reposition polytechnics as centres of excellence within the nation’s higher education system.
He explained that the reform would place polytechnic education on a stronger footing while preserving its core focus on hands-on, industry-driven training, noting that Nigeria’s future competitiveness depended on a workforce capable of creating, building and solving real-world problems.
According to the minister, the policy aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises job creation, industrial growth and human capital development.
With degree-awarding status, Alausa said polytechnics would be better positioned to attract stronger industry partnerships, improved funding opportunities and greater public confidence.
He assured stakeholders that the transition would be guided by clear standards, strict regulation and robust quality-assurance mechanisms to ensure global competitiveness.
Speaking on the theme, “Transforming Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Innovation, Good Governance and Sustainability for National Development,” the minister emphasised that polytechnics were critical to building a skills-driven economy and achieving sustainable national development.
