HND Certificate Holders In More Trouble As Plot To Scrap It Thickens

Higher National Diploma, HND Certificate Holders who already suffer some discrimination in terms of employment and higher studies, may have to brace up for more hurdles

Aside insistence of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for them to provide letters showing they have completed the mandatory one year Industrial Attachment with relevant Organisations, a new challenge has emerged on the pathway of HND Certificate holders.

OND graduates desirous of going for a HND in Pharmaceutical Technology in the polytechnics or monotechnics for example now thread a dangerous path.
Reason is the resolve of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to stop forthwith, granting approval and accreditation of HND in Pharmaceutical Technology.

A circular to that effect was signed by the Executive Secretary, Professor Idris Bugaje.

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In fact, anger to the policy has already forced some parties to approach the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to restrain NBTE or it’s representatives from going ahead with the policy.

NBTE’s partner in the case is the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria and both agencies have been invited by Hon Justice Peter Lifu to come and explain rationale for their stance.
However the case fans out, there is little or not that the desire of HND Certificate holders to play at parity level with their first degree holders’ counterpart still remains a desirability not a reality.

The Eagle findings show for example, that the polytechnic window usually appeals to many candidates who are either self-sponsored or with little financial means and would want bridge their studies with work.

Incidentally, some of such jobs are not on line with their primary academic disciplines and as a result cannot issue an acceptable IT certificate

There are equally polytechnics which admit OND holders for HND without insisting on their presenting IT letters

The Eagle reports further that though most HND Certificate holders can stand their own, in fact beat some first degree holder counterparts, policies guiding their education still need harmonisation.

In the interim, their dilemma still stands