The long-standing battle over the disparity between Higher National Diploma (HND) holders and University Degree graduates appears to be nearing its final chapter as the Federal Government officially unveiled a roadmap to allow polytechnics to award degrees.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Moruf Alausa, dropped the hint on Wednesday during the 23rd Convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, an institution that has already begun its transition into the Federal University of Technology. Represented by the Director of Polytechnic and Allied Institutions, Mrs. Igwe Amy, the Minister maintained that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is determined to dismantle the structural barriers that have historically hindered the career progression of polytechnic graduates.

According to the Minister, this move is a cornerstone of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to reposition technical and vocational education as the primary engine for Nigeria’s industrial growth. He explained that the government is currently perfecting reforms that will see existing polytechnics gain the capacity to confer degrees, thereby harmonizing the tertiary education system and ensuring that skills—rather than just nomenclature—dictate a graduate’s value in the labor market.

Furthering this commitment, Alausa announced that a newly revised curriculum is scheduled to debut in the 2025/2026 academic session. This new framework will prioritize deeper learning and mandatory vocational skills, including emerging fields like robotics and solar PV installation, to ensure that Nigerian graduates are equipped for the global economy.

The Minister urged the over 8,000 graduands at the ceremony to see themselves as the vanguard of this new era, asserting that the government’s legacy projects in tertiary education are designed to create a more equitable and productive future for all Nigerian youths. By turning polytechnics into degree-awarding hubs, the Federal Government aims to finally bury the HND-Degree dichotomy and foster a more unified approach to national development.