The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, has once again called on the Federal Government to give polytechnics across the country the authority to award degrees such as Bachelor of Technology to end the B.Sc. and HND dichotomy.
The union made the call through its National President, Anderson Ezeibe in Kaduna at an award presentation and farewell ceremony organized by ASUP, Makarfi Chapter to mark transition of Shehu Idris Collage of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi into Kaduna State University through a merger.
Speaking further, he said the measure would also ensure full utilization of a huge number of technical equipment in workshops, laboratories and other facilities in public polytechnics across the country that remained underutilized due to lean students’ population, as most people prefer to go to universities.
He was quoted as saying “ASUP is currently advocating the award of Bachelor of Technology by Nigerian polytechnics system. HND is no longer as attractive as it used to be to Nigerian youths because of the age-long dichotomy.
“Policy makers have made it a rule that once an individual has an HND, he cannot attain the peak of his/her career, then why are they continuing to force it on people, why don’t they phase it out and replace it with Bachelors of Technology?”
The National President of ASUP further argued that the Nigerian polytechnic system had all it takes in terms of infrastructure and human capital to award bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in the areas of technology.
He disclosed that the union is serious and have taken steps by submitting a position paper to the Federal Government regarding the need to transit from the award of HND to bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in technology in Nigeria polytechnics.