The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) publicized that the new online top-up programme for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree for one year, with foreign accredited universities, is meant for the HND holders who wish to pursue an academic career.
The NBTE Head of Media Unit, Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, made the revelation in a statement issued to Journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
Abubakar quoted the board’s Chief Executive, Prof. Idris Bugaje, saying the programme is not for all the HND holders but rather for those who have the ambition to further their career in an academic environment such as teaching and research in the Polytechnics or Universities.
“This top-up is an alternative to the Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) offered by Nigerian Universities.
“In a democracy such as ours, HND holders should be allowed to make a choice between PGD and the top-up to BSc,” he added.
He emphasized that the clarification came on the heels of misunderstandings about the programme in a section of the media.
According to him, the top-up is not bringing an end to HND programmes in Polytechnics but rather provides choice to HND holders wanting to go for an academic career.
“The choice of starting it with foreign universities is to show its universal acceptability, the Nigerian universities may eventually buy into.
“The cost is reasonable, just about 10 percent of what regular face-to-face students pay.
“NBTE has come up with the programme to enable interested Polytechnic HND holders to be at par with their counterparts with Bachelor’s degree holders.
“And make it easy for them to go for their Master’s and Doctorate degrees for those interested in pursuing their career in academics,” he asserted.
