From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering (NATE) has explained the reason behind the poor interest of younger students in Polytechnic education and technical related courses.
National President of NATE, Dominic Udoatan, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja, on Friday, that the inability to break the dichotomy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of Science (Bsc) holders, was majorly responsible for the increasing drop in students’ interest in certificates in technical education.
He was worried that the world is recognizing technologists and appreciating their work and contributions to the global transformation, while Nigeria is doing otherwise, seeing and doing things related to technologists differently.
He made reference to the bill that has been passed by both chambers of our 9th National Assembly, which is still waiting the assent of the President.
He said: “It’s pertinent to note that there would not have been any need for this long agitation if efforts of previous administrations, including that of the Minister of Education who is vested with the power of Certificate Evaluation as a matter of policy by Education Act, were allowed to scale through successfully.
“Unfortunately, efforts to abolish this ugly monster called HND and BSC Dichotomy in Nigeria have always been thwarted by
enemies of technological advancement in Nigeria, who want the country to go down at all costs.
“These are self-centered persons with ill motives. They stay at a corner and constantly devise means of frustrating the Polytechnic education, technological breakthrough/development, and the technologists in Nigeria.
“Technology drives the economy of world and frontliners in such technological breakthroughs are technologists who are given equal opportunities with their engineering counterparts to showcase their talents. But the reverse is the case in Nigeria.
“The discrimination against HND holders particularly in engineering has dampened and demoralized the morale of technologists, thereby resulting in low productivity.”
He said that with the present situation, many parents are unwilling to allow their children seek admission into polytechnic institutions because of the stigma of inferiority that Polytechnic graduates are second class citizens.
“For decades now, the Federal Government of Nigeria has been sufficiently disturbed about the technological and economic damage that the disparity between HND and first-degree holders is inflicting on the
nation and has made several administrative attempts to resolve the issue by constituting various committees, commissions and giving directives on the way forward.
“But it is sad to observe that even when the White Paper was released on the above subject matter, some people are thwarting the implementation of the recommendations of the White Paper. Obviously, the only option left was the legislative route. A bill for an Act to abolish HND and First-Degree dichotomy was sponsored by Senator Patrick Ayo Akinyelure, at the Red Chamber.
“The bill went through public hearing in Nigeria, and Nigerians unanimously
agreed that the disparity should be removed. Lawmakers in their wisdom yielded to the yearnings of Nigerians by passing the bill on
2nd June 2021, and the House of Representatives concurred on 23rd
November 2021.”
He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, to quickly assent to the bill to salvage the future of technical education in Nigeria.