The fact remains that this dilemma has persisted for years without any meaningful remedy.
Discrimination against HND holders has existed from the beginning till date. As a result, many capable HND candidates have been forced out of opportunities.
Sincerely, we do have HND holders who, by privilege or personal effort, have found their way to the top. However, such individuals are very few and far between.
I believe this is an intentional oversight, as successive governments have found it difficult to rectify these variances till date. Despite numerous articles, advocacy, and calls on government to address the issue, the discrimination still exists in ministries, parastatals, organizations, and other places of service.
I am also a product of a Polytechnic. I was able to "switch" out of necessity based on what I observed. But not everyone will think the way I did, and not everyone has the tenacity to make such a sudden switch because of what they see and hear.
Education is essential for our citizens. The real question is: how many universities do we have for our massive population? The role of Polytechnics cannot be dismissed, especially when more tertiary institutions are needed to meet our growing population.
There are two distinct but complementary mandates:
1. University: Focused on reasoning, research, theories, and findings
2. Polytechnic: Focused on practical knowledge, application, and the translation of research into real-world transformation
Ordinarily, both should work hand in hand to drive national development and advancement. No meaningful achievement can be realized when there is no provision for both reasoning and its implementation.
Therefore, Universities and Polytechnics need to be harmonized and made to work toward a common purpose that benefits society — without discrimination.
To establish harmony, equality, and stop the redundancy of many intellectual and technically skilled graduates, the following steps are critical for government action:
- Convert Polytechnics to Universities of Technology where appropriate
- Upgrade Polytechnics to award http://B.Tech degrees directly
- Eliminate all forms of discrimination against HND/B.Tech holders in ministries, parastatals, and organizations
- Encourage young people to embrace technology institutions and think beyond theory to practical experimentation
- Upgrade the system so that http://B.Tech in Nigeria is not seen as a waste, but as added capacity for diversification
- Address our national problems through strengthened technological capacity. http://B.Tech must be positioned as a key alternative to our present predicament
- Grant http://B.Tech holders equal rights to proceed to http://M.Sc and Ph.D programmes without ambiguity
These and other necessary steps must be taken to rectify the variance and discrimination in the labour market as it relates to HND and University certificates in Nigeria.
Ade’Tope Adeniji
N.D. Urban and Regional Planning | http://B.Sc. Economics | http://M.Sc. Political Economy and Development Studies
Cc; Federal Government of Nigeria
Cc; National Assembly
Post a Comment