THE SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has emphasized the urgent need to eliminate the long-standing disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) and university degree holders in Nigeria.
Abbas made the call on Thursday while declaring open a public hearing on three critical bills aimed at reforming polytechnic and technical education in the country.
The event, organized by the House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, took place in Abuja.
Represented by Hon. Adebayo Balogun, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Reforms, Abbas stressed that harmonizing the qualifications was crucial to ending institutional bias.
He stated that the proposed legislation would ensure graduates are assessed based on competence rather than the type of institution they attended.
The Speaker expressed confidence that amending the Polytechnics Act would empower polytechnic graduates and place them on equal footing with their university counterparts.
He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to advancing Nigeria’s higher education system for national development, noting that the bills would democratize access to skills and knowledge.
Abbas highlighted the potential of the reforms to foster job creation through skills acquisition and innovation, commending the bill sponsors and the committee for their efforts.
Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education, Hon. Kayode Laguda, emphasized the importance of the bills in strengthening technical education.
He praised Abbas for his leadership and reiterated the collective desire to enhance knowledge and skills acquisition in Nigeria.
One of the bill sponsors, Hon. Usman Danladi, underscored the significance of establishing a Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition in Borno State, stating that it would boost local economic growth and help address insecurity in the region.
The three bills under consideration include a Bill to establish the Federal College of Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition in Hawul, Borno State; a Bill to amend the Federal Polytechnics Act to address institutional disparities; and, a Bill to review the functions of polytechnics under the Federal Polytechnics Act.
The legislative push marks a significant step toward bridging the gap between polytechnic and university education while promoting technical skills for national development.
