Nigerian Senate passes bill to end B.Sc/HND discrimination
The Nigerian senate passes the bill to put an end to the discrimination between university degree (B.Sc) and the Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate holders in the country.
The Joint Committee on Establishment and Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND presents the report on the floor of the house and senate approve clauses 1-6 as amended.
Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau in his report said “the enactment of the bill to abolish and prohibit discrimination between First Degrees and Higher National Diploma for the purpose of employment in Nigeria will no doubt free holders of HND from stagnation and ensure balanced treatment with their counterparts from other higher tertiary institutions in Nigeria.”
The bill according to the senator will also free HND holders from any hindrance plus balancing treatment with their counterparts from other higher tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
He adds that if the existing differences between B.Sc and HND holders, it clears the huge manpower needs of Nigerians, ensures social justice and improve corporate governance.
Speaking further, he said it will also encourage patriotic contributions among HND employees in both public and private sectors.
In his remarks after the passage of the bill, the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, emphasised that the passage of the bill would serve as a motivation for polytechnic graduates.
He, therefore, called on the public and private sectors to ensure the implementation of the bill’s provisions as soon as it is signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Lawan said: “This particular issue has been in the front burner for a long time. I recall that in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007, this was one bill that was so important, and is one way of encouraging our Polytechnic graduates.
“That should not take away from the kind of training they receive, but, in fact, it is supposed to be a motivation for our polytechnic graduates.
“(And) I pray that the federal government and all those government agencies and the private sector would start to implement this by the time the President assents to this bill.”
Ilaro Polytechnic Upgrade
Meanwhile, Nigeria Senate on Tuesday also passed the bill to upgrade the federal polytechnic Ilaro Ogun state to Federal University of Technology.
This means that the students that will graduate from the institution will also bag degrees’ certificate and bye to HND certification once the bill is implemented.
Senator Solomon Adeola of Lagos West sponsored the bills process since 2017 in the 8th senate but the bill did not survive till it was presented again to the 9th senate.
The senator also asserts that the upgrade will help increase spaces in university admission in Nigeria and will boost technology education training in the country.
