Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Education, Rep Kayode Laguda, has renewed calls for the abolition of the long-running discrimination between Higher National Diploma and Bachelor’s degree holders in Nigeria.
Laguda made the demand on Saturday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the maiden Bi-annual Lecture Series and Awards of the Federal Polytechnic Oko Alumni Association, Abuja branch, themed “HND/BSc Dichotomy: Matters Arising”.
He said the country could no longer afford to sustain what he described as a “long-standing injustice” against HND holders and announced that he had already sponsored the “Higher National Diploma Discrimination (Prohibition) Bill, 2024” at the National Assembly.
“In response to this long-standing injustice, I took the bold step of sponsoring the bill which has already passed crucial stages in the National Assembly,” he told participants.
“The goal is to ensure that holders of HND and BSc qualifications are treated equally for employment, promotion, and further studies,” he added.
Laguda explained that the proposed law seeks to outlaw any form of discrimination against HND holders in both the public and private sectors, with clear penalties for organisations or individuals who persist in the practice.
According to him, the legislation represents more than routine lawmaking, but “a statement of national intent”.
“It says to every young Nigerian in a polytechnic that your education matters, your skills matter, and your future is valid. It is about restoring dignity to technical education and rewarding competence, not titles,” he said.
The lawmaker called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to push the HND/Degree Dichotomy Bill across the finish line and unlock the full contribution of polytechnics to national creativity, excellence and enterprise.
He warned that any nation that undermines its technical manpower cannot achieve industrial growth, citing countries like Germany, Japan and China as examples of economies that prioritise technical education.
Laguda also urged Nigerians to discard the mindset that polytechnics are a fallback option for those who could not secure university admission, saying such a narrative “belongs to the past”. He recommended periodic review and alignment of polytechnic curricula with industry needs, as well as the creation of a National Polytechnic Commission to drive reform.
Speaking at the event, Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, Prof Idris Bugaje, represented by Mr Bashir Dati, restated the board’s commitment to ongoing reforms in the sector. He described the HND/BSc gap as a major obstacle to the country’s industrialisation.
Bugaje commended the Federal Polytechnic Oko Alumni Association for sustaining the conversation, saying continued advocacy was crucial to achieving parity.
Rector of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Dr Chioma Awuzie, raised concern that the lingering dichotomy was already affecting enrolment into polytechnics. She appealed to the Federal Government to intervene urgently to avert the collapse of polytechnic education.
“We urge the government to enable the polytechnics to award the Bachelor of Technology to graduating students to end the dichotomy between HND and Degree certificates,” she said, adding that the skills of polytechnic graduates remain one of NBTE’s strongest legacies.
National President of the Alumni Association, Nze Henry Nnebe, blamed the persistence of the dichotomy partly on lack of unity among polytechnic graduates. He called for a united front to push through reforms that would permanently abolish the divide.
Chairman of the Abuja branch of the association, Mr Nnabuchi Nnabuchi, said the dichotomy had “undermined meritocracy and competence”, noting that many HND holders had been prevented from reaching the peak of their careers, especially in the civil service.
The event also featured the conferment of merit awards on several notable Nigerians, including Rep Kayode Laguda, Rep Okpolupm Etteh, women entrepreneurs Dr Eugenia Ndukwe and Mrs Gloria Onyeakazi, as well as the House Majority Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, and Rep Unyime Idem, for their service, advocacy and support for social justice.
