He explained that the new policy is designed to reposition polytechnics as true centres of excellence, emphasising that they should no longer be seen as second-class institutions but as equal partners with universities in driving national development.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has introduced a far-reaching reform in Nigeria’s education sector, moving to phase out the Higher National Diploma (HND) and bring an end to decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates by granting polytechnics the authority to award degrees.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja while speaking at a high-level retreat involving council chairmen, rectors and key education stakeholders. He explained that the policy is aimed at finally closing the long-standing gap between HND holders and university degree graduates—a divide that has for years restricted the career growth and professional recognition of technically trained Nigerians.
According to Alausa, the reform will elevate polytechnics to centres of excellence, stressing that they should no longer be viewed as inferior to universities but recognised as institutions with a vital role in national growth. He noted that Nigeria’s future depends on a workforce equipped to create, build and solve practical, real-life problems, adding that this is an area where polytechnics already have a strong advantage.
The minister said the government intends to build on this strength by empowering polytechnics to award degrees, while assuring Nigerians that strict regulatory guidelines and quality control measures will be put in place to ensure that the degrees meet international standards.
Beyond academics, Alausa issued a strong warning to polytechnic administrators on the need to uphold transparency and accountability, making it clear that corruption and financial misconduct would not be tolerated in the management of the institutions.
He also announced that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) would roll out a special intervention to modernise engineering schools in polytechnics, equipping them with up-to-date, state-of-the-art facilities.
While acknowledging persistent challenges such as poor infrastructure and long-standing societal bias against technical education, the minister urged polytechnic leaders to lead the change by embracing innovation in areas like renewable energy, digital manufacturing and applied technology.
“The future of our youth, our economy and our nation depends on the transformation we ignite here today,” he said.
The policy shift follows years of advocacy by education stakeholders and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), who have consistently pushed for the passage of the Higher National Diploma Discrimination (Prohibition) Bill to end unequal treatment of polytechnic graduates.